


Imposter

by Darkicedragon



Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Found Family, Other, imposter!frankenstein, imposter!m-21, through murdering off the rest of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 26,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27716813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkicedragon/pseuds/Darkicedragon
Summary: The base was a Union training ground, for both imposters and not, the Union wanting to test their creations against each other. Frankenstein is sure it was going to be an easy win, but when they see the state the other imposter is in, it no longer looks as likely.
Relationships: Frankenstein/Muzaka (Noblesse)
Comments: 53
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Among Us AU! :D This being an Among Us au, there's gonna be some casual murder happening off screen, haha.
> 
> Will be Frankenstein/Muzaka.
> 
> I've got most of this mapped out, but not properly planned, and it'll mostly be a snippet verse, so there'll be quite a bit of a time jump between some parts and the parts won't be equal length. At the moment, there's some 32 parts planned out, and I'll be seeing if I can post twice a week.
> 
> They're on the Polus map, but I made a few adjustments, because they still need a medbay, and crew's quarters would also be nice, haha. And also having a mix of vents and holes, because why not. XD
> 
> 'Spaced' will be more of a general catch-all of 'voted out' rather than 'lava-ed' for this map, ahha.

They weren't meant to use their names on the Union base; they were only to use the colour of their spacesuit, to make everything equal. Frankenstein knew enough that it was a way to further dehumanise them.   
  
Hah. 'Dehumanise'. It was hard to dehumanise them when they were never human in the first place.   
  
The base was a test for both sides: for the modified humans to work under pressure and being able to spot irregularities, while for the imposters, it was a test to see how human they could appear. If the humans passed, they would be sent to staff ships after proving they could root out imposters; if the imposters passed, they would be sent to infiltrate other ships to weaken their numbers and steal their information.   
  
After all the basic tests, they were finally being put into a proper scenario amongst others to put their skills to the test. Frankenstein had been around humans for years now, had studied them and how they acted.   
  
Winning would be easy.   


* * *

  
White already had his helmet off by the time Frankenstein was woken up at the base. It was understandable - with White's waist-length silver hair, it would have have been hard to contain even a fraction of it within his helmet. White had a scar that cut up from the bottom of his left jaw that almost reached his eye and tucked under his arm was a small red dog that had one eye in the centre of its head.   
  
"Yo!" White said, waving. "I'm Muzaka."   
  
Frankenstein blinked, hesitated for a second, and then removed their helmet, also smiling. "Frankenstein." The only cameras on the ship were internal ones; the Union had too many testing bases to monitor all of them. Because of that, they were only to contact the Union once one side had won.   
  
If Muzaka was setting the tone for non-compliance immediately, it was going to be...interesting how the others would react, and if Muzaka would end up leading the others, or becoming one of the first to die one way or another.   
  
Frankenstein heard the teleporter start up behind them. The base of their skull itched, resonating with the new imposter.   
  
Two imposters then, possibly more. That would make this easier.   
  
The other imposter had chosen silver for their spacesuit, and that seemed to be it. Frankenstein hid their frown. Humans wanted to both be individual and in a community, a need to express themselves in what way they could. Frankenstein had chosen a doctor skin for their space suit - after the amount spent in the lab, they was sure they could regurgitate what they'd heard if the need arose. Silver hadn't chosen anything else to decorate themselves with - to not do anything was already a sign against Silver. Had imposter creation taken such a downward turn in the Union?   
  
"Heey, almost the same colour!" Muzaka laughed, the sound filling the room. "You haven't customised yet? Here, why don't you try-" Muzaka flipped through the menus without looking, his hand slapping down on something. A set of wolf ears materialised next to him and he grabbed it. "-this!"   
  
Silver didn't move, and damn, they were hesitating this much at the start? They weren't going to last long.   
  
"C'mon, take off yer helmet," Muzaka said, ambling over. "I wanna see what they look like on ya."   
  
Muzaka was almost upon when Silver removed their - ah. That would explain it.   
  
Short silver hair, a scar cutting down the right side of his mouth. They could almost look like family, Muzaka Silver's father. In the Union, that could be possible with how much they played with DNA.   
  
"Woah, we're almost a mirror image!" Muzaka said, not missing a beat, and slid the ears onto Silver's head.   
  
The glare of Silver's face would have made most people pause, and Frankenstein saw a row of sharp thin fangs beneath Silver's lips. Damn, he was going to reveal himself even before the mission even started!  
  
The drone of the teleporters started up again, more people arriving and Frankenstein exhaled, Muzaka's attention distracted as he went over to greet the newcomers.   
  
Crisis averted, for now. Frankenstein was certain it wouldn't be the last.   


* * *

  
Muzaka had convinced the others to also remove their helmets and give their names while they waited to arrive.   
  
Exiting the dropship together wasn't so bad.  
  
It was just... It was a risky plan, but Frankenstein had to do it.   
  
"Em," he said, smiling at Silver, "do you want to come with me to the medbay?" Pairing off was good, because people could keep an eye on each other, and if someone was killed, then eyes would be on their partner. An imposter pairing with an imposter was risky, if someone questioned why they were together, but this way, Frankenstein should be able to give Em an alibi.   
  
Ah, 'Em'. The name didn't stick out too much, not when a number of the other people were named after objects, but it was clear Em was a letter designation, presumably with numbers following. And with what little Frankenstein had seen of him so far, they was surprised someone hadn't accused Em already.   
  
It was a little irritating.   
  
Em studied them with narrowed eyes before nodding curtly. Good.   
  
The medbay was to the east, next to the lab, which was good, because it meant they should hear anyone coming.   
  
Frankenstein exhaled, the sounds of the crew fading into the background, only his and Em's footsteps echoing as they walked through the base, snow swirling around them.  
  
The medbay doors had just closed and as Frankenstein removed their helmet, Em rushed at them.   
  
Frankenstein snapped. They grabbed Em's transformed hands (silver furred, nails extended to black claws longer than his palm) and slammed him against the wall. Frankenstein let their own true form bleed through, their hair shifting to spikes to point at Em's throat.   
  
Em froze at the sight of them, his eyes wide.   
  
"Are you an _idiot_?" Frankenstein hissed. Could Em really not tell they were alike? Had the Union not socialised him at all with humans _or_ other imposters? "We're meant to kill the other crewmembers, not _each other_."   
  
Em didn't say anything for a few seconds, before he looked away, his transformation fading back to normal.   
  
Frankenstein held him for a few more seconds, frowning. "Can you talk?" Had the Union taught him more than his name at least?   
  
Em's gaze slid back to them, before nodding.   
  
They sighed. " _Words_ , Em. To appear human, you need to be able to talk fluently."   
  
Frankenstein got a low growl as a reply before Em spoke. "Yeah. Can talk."   
  
Em was going to get spaced at the first accusation if Frankenstein didn't teach him how to blend in.   
  
"Then remember to do that when the humans are talking to you," Frankenstein said, letting him go. "No growling."   
  
Em scowled at them. "Only growled 'cause you know me."   
  
It was something at least. "All right. I'll leave you to your business - try not to get caught." If they stayed in medbay and a body was found, they could give Em an alibi.   
  
"Fine." Em looked around and then disappeared through a vent.   
  
Frankenstein sighed, rubbing their face. They spied the wolf ears Em had been wearing on the ground, and it was probably for the best it had been dropped during their scuffle. If the ears had been found next to a body, it would have been clear who had done it.   
  
And that was if Em was even capable of killing someone else.   
  
Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as Frankenstein thought it would...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muzaka was alone in the engine room; the kill should have been easy.

Muzaka was alone in the boiler room; the kill should have been easy. Frankenstein had come across the human as he worked at a panel, trying to tighten some pipes with his back to the door.   
  
Careless.   
  
He had even left the door open. It made sense with the heat that was radiating from the machines, but was he asking to be killed?   
  
Frankenstein wouldn't let an opportunity pass them by, however - the other crewmates weren't anywhere close and Frankenstein couldn't hear any approaching footsteps.   
  
Frankenstein snuck closer to Muzaka, letting out their true form, raising their hands. They should be able to snap Muzaka's neck in time, but if they didn't, their spikes would finish the job.   
  
Muzaka turned his head towards them, and damn, they must have made a sound. Frankenstein lunged, closing the distance.   
  
Muzaka turned fully, catching their hands, and span them so their back hit the wall. Damn, damn, damn, as much as they'd berated Em, they were caught in the exact way.   
  
Muzaka grinned at them, triumphant at catching them in the act. "Yer pretty forward, huh?"   
  
Forw-?  
  
Muzaka leaned in and kissed them lightly on the lips. Just a touch, and Muzaka stepped away, still grinning.   
  
"I've still got a couple of tasks ta do," Muzaka said, waving at them as he walked away. "I'll catch ya later, okay?"   
  
He was gone before Frankenstein could respond.   
  
What...had just happened...?  


* * *

  
Frankenstein sat down in the medbay, watching the screens scroll with some text. They'd passed a few of the others on the way back, but they could barely remember any of it, their thoughts wandering back to the...kiss. Yes. They'd seen other humans and the Union scientists engage in that before.   
  
They rested a finger against their lips, remembering the warmth Muzaka had left. Why had...?  
  
They looked over at the rattle of the vent, Em climbing out. He was splattered in blood.   
  
"Who was it?" Frankenstein asked, standing up to reach for a cloth.   
  
Em scowled at them. "You care? I'm doing the mission."  
  
Frankenstein sighed. "Practice, Em. The others will ask if they find the body. Now, who was it?"   
  
Em's scowl flickered for a second. "Red." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Shark."   
  
"Good." Frankenstein nodded. Em had paid attention to the other names and remembered them. "Now, let's get that blood cleaned off you, hm?"  
  
Em's scowl didn't fade as Frankenstein walked over with the cleaning materials.   
  
"And...good job on doing your mission," Frankenstein murmured, spraying the cloth with some disinfectant. They'd looked down on how Em had acted earlier and what Em knew, but the other imposter had still done more than Frankenstein had.   
  
It looked like Em wasn't the only one who needed to learn more.   
  
Em snatched the cloth from Frankenstein's hand, rubbing the blood off his suit. "Whatever. I'll kill the others while you stay here."  
  
Em was gone, leaving the bloodied cloth behind.   
  
Frankenstein sighed, picking up the cloth. It would be better to burn it, rather than leave traces of blood behind if he washed it.   
  
Maybe the reason why Em was the way he was was because he'd been specialised towards killing, while Frankenstein was specialised towards appearing human. Different strengths. That could be why they had been paired on this ship.   
  
Would Em be able to kill Muzaka? Only time would tell.   



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muzaka saw Em struggling with the wires.

Muzaka saw Em struggling with the wires, scowling at it so much Muzaka wouldn't be surprised if the wires had gotten more damaged in the process.  
  
"You havin' trouble?" he asked, walking over, tucking his dog under his arm. It was a little AI robot that didn't do much except wag its tail, but it was nice having someone to chat at while doing his tasks, even if he didn't get a response from it.  
  
Muzaka peered into the panel, seeing the wires. They seemed pretty easy to identify...  
  
He took one end of the red wires and attached it to its counterpart. He saw Em's eyebrows shoot up. Hm.  
  
"What do they look like to you?" Muzaka asked.  
  
Em scowled. " _Wires_.  
  
Muzaka tugged one wire out to show it to Em. "What colour is this?"  
  
Em glared at the wires, his eyes darting to each one. " _What_ colours?"  
  
Okaaay, so Em was colourblind. "I'll go do this one for ya then," Muzaka said, smiling at him. "And we'll go do the others together, yeah?"  
  
Em perked up at that, before looking around.  
  
Hmm.  
  
Just then, Hammer walked around the corner, a frown on his face as he chewed on a sandwich. He paused, glancing between Muzaka and Em. "Do you know what to do with the machine in the specimen room? It keeps beeping but then stops."  
  
This could work out. "I haven't been there yet, but we can try an' figure it out together." This way, Em wouldn't feel singled out if they worked together to puzzle something out.  
  
Em made a noise when Muzaka clapped him on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's go."  
  


* * *

  
Muzaka stretched, groaning at the feel of it. "What do you think, Em?" he asked, turning towards his crewmate.  
  
Em was still scowling, and had been for most of the time they'd went through the base. They'd bumped into a different crewmate at each building while everyone settled in.  
  
The Union hadn't left any instructions on how they were meant to fix up and maintain the base but at least it seemed most of the important systems were running well. For now... They were going to need to figure out how to fix anything that went wrong _before_ they did.  
  
Muzaka grinned at him, patting his shoulder. "You'll get it eventually - ya just need some practice." He paused, mulling it over. Practice with the wires wasn't going to do anything for Em if he couldn't distinguish between the colours. "An' if you need help, just ask one of us."  
  
Em sighed long enough it turned into a hiss before turning and walking away.  
  
Well, the offer was still open if Em ever needed it.  
  
Humming, Muzaka turned to the other direction, intending to go to bed.  
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein felt Em approach and wasn't surprised to see the other imposter scowling when he came into the medbay - it seemed to be his default expression.  
  
The gritted teeth was new though.  
  
"You didn't get anyone?" Frankenstein asked mildly, sliding the folder they'd been reading back into place. It was clear that was what had happened, but the speech practice would be good for Em.  
  
" _No_ ," Em said, pacing. "Was with Muzaka the whole time, but never alone! Always someone else." He growled, fur charging across his skin.  
  
Frankenstein kept an eye on the door, but they were sure Em knew enough to not let go of his form when others were nearby. "There will be more chances later on," they said, hiding their smile. It was good to know Em had as much trouble killing Muzaka as they had, even if it was for different reasons.  
  


* * *

  
Muzaka stared up at his ceiling as he lay in bed, his hands behind his head. Em not being able to see colour kept coming to his mind whenever he wasn't concentrating on something else and now, there was nothing else to think about.  
  
Of the panels he'd seen today, most of them had loose connections and he wouldn't be surprised if they would need to reconnect them again in the morning. Which Em wouldn't be able to do by himself.  
  
Hm...  
  
Was there something he could do to help Em see them better...?  
  
An idea sparked in his mind, and Muzaka grinned. Yeah, that could do.  
  


* * *

  
"Hey, Em, c'mere!" Muzaka called out, waving an arm at Em.  
  
Em narrowed his eyes for a second before coming over.  
  
"What do ya think?" Muzaka said, gesturing at the panel.  
  
Em glanced at it, and his eyes went wide, making Muzaka grin. Looked like Em could see the sharpie on the wires. "This'll be temporary since they'll get wiped off eventually," Muzaka said, "but it should be good enough for now while I think of somethin' more permanent." He could try with paper and tape, but those would come off eventually too.  
  
Em didn't seem to be listening, still staring at the wires. He took one that Muzaka had drawn three parallel lines on and slowly connected it to its pair. Em did that with the other wires, and then looked up when the panel light lit up.  
  
"Great, they're all connected to the right place!" Muzaka said, patting Em on the shoulder.  
  
Em stared at the wires, not moving.  
  
"If there's anythin' else ya need help with, just let me know, and I'll see if there's somethin' I can do," Muzaka said.  
  
Em glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, before he looked away. "Okay."  
  
Hmm. Maybe there was something else Em was having trouble with, but didn't want to ask. Okay, Muzaka would just have to keep an eye out on him to check if Em was looking particularly lost or frustrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Thanks' isn't in M-21's vocab, so he's kinda stuck, aha.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankenstein wants to talk to Muzaka about something.

Frankenstein looked around, double-checking where they were and walked close enough for the door sensors to open. The heat of the boiler room hit them like an almost physical force and Frankenstein paused, just regaining their breath. How did Muzaka work in here with his space suit on? The clank of the machines was also loud here, almost deafening compared to the silence of the space suit and-  
  
"Yo, Frankenstein."  
  
...Ah, _that_ was how Muzaka managed in this heat.   
  
Muzaka had striped down, taking off his space suit. Underneath was a vest and trousers, showing off his muscles and scars alike, his skin slick with sweat.   
  
"What's up?" Muzaka said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "You wanna go outside so we can hear each other?" he said, grinning as he walked over.   
  
"Isn't that going to be too cold for you?" Frankenstein said, concerned. Going from one extreme to another wasn't good.   
  
"It's not _that_ cold," Muzaka said, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his neck as he patted his face with it. "But if it's worryin' you that much, we can head to O2 if ya want. It's warmer there than the corridor."   
  
"Yes, I would prefer that," Frankenstein said, heading for the door.   
  
They exhaled when it opened, the cooler air already refreshing after the few minutes in the boiler room - how long did Muzaka spend in there? They eyed Muzaka from the corner of their eyes as they walked to O2.   
  
Muzaka seemed all right. While his skin was flushed, his balance was still coordinated and he wasn't stumbling either.   
  
Muzaka caught them watching and grinned, wrapping an arm around their shoulders with a laugh. "You worried about me? I'm good, doc."   
  
"That _is_ what I'm meant to be doing here," Frankenstein said, catching the wave of oil and musk coming from Muzaka.   
  
When they entered the O2 area, Frankenstein was hit with the sense of _green_ it almost made them dizzy. Muzaka tightened his arm on Frankenstein's shoulders, guiding them to the giant tree that was the centrepiece of the room.   
  
They eased down to sit at the tree's base and Frankenstein leaned back against it, tilting their head back. The ceiling was fully lit, each panel shining as if it was being shone on by a sun and not generated by power.   
  
"You haven't been here before?" Muzaka said with a chuckle, leaning back next to them, close enough their shoulders brushed. "I'm thinkin' of seeing if I can dig into the ceiling so I can make the weather change."   
  
"No," Frankenstein said faintly, "I'm normally in the medbay or the labs." They'd been too busy studying how to pass as human, learning from the researchers and scientists around them, than to explore the bases they'd been created and stationed at. They would have needed permission for that anyway and the Union wanted an eye on their imposters at all times.   
  
"Then come here as often as ya want and check it out, heh."   
  
"I think I will." Frankenstein had never seen this much _green_ before, even if it seemed like it was mostly just...grass, was it? And the tree. Even so, the smell of them and the dirt under them was overpowering.   
  
"So what were you comin' over to see me for?" Muzaka said, continuing to dry himself off.   
  
Ah, right, of course.   
  
Frankenstein exhaled, still trying to process what was around them. "I was just curious about your votes," they said.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
Hm. "I noticed that you always skip yours." Two meetings had been called so far and Muzaka had skipped both of them. Two wasn't a pattern, but it was the beginning of one.   
  
"Oh, that?" Muzaka shrugged. "I don't think there's any imposters among us, so I'm not votin' against anyone."  
  
Frankenstein snapped their head to him, staring, and dammit, was that reaction too strange? Or maybe it was normal, all things considered. They were sure humans would have reacted with surprise at that. "Why don't you think there's an imposter?" It was always better to imply a different number of imposters than there actually was.   
  
"'Cause it's the Union," Muzaka said, setting the towel around the back of his neck again. "They say whatever to get people to do what they want."   
  
"People have died," Frankenstein pointed out, trying to puzzle over Muzaka's way of thinking. "That means there's an imposter here."  
  
"Is there?" Muzaka shot back with no hesitation. "Or are people jumpy at that, and then killing each other 'cause they _think_ someone else is an imposter." He huffed, crossing his arms. "What does it matter anyway? There's no difference between us and imposters."   
  
Ah... There was a _clear_ difference between humans and imposters. "Imposters are made in the lab...?"   
  
"Eh." Muzaka shrugged again. "So're some humans as well. An' it's not like the Union haven't messed about with our code either; made in the lab, or modified after, we're just their agents."  
  
Interesting. Put it like that, then yes, modified humans and imposters _were_ the same.   
  
"We're all stuck on this base as it is," Muzaka continued, "because the Union put us here, so we're in this together, not against." He paused, not saying anything, his head tilted back to gaze up at the artificial sky. "Why should we follow what they say an' try ta an imposter? They're not here to reinforce that, and they're not above lying to manipulate people's behaviours. This is all just a test for them."   
  
Those were dangerous words, ones that, if reported, could get Muzaka killed for rebelling. Yet Muzaka felt safe enough with them to speak freely.   
  
"I-"   
  
A klaxon, a red light flashing in the corner.   
  
**[Warning: Seismic stabilisers malfunctioning** ]  
  
They both froze and as they shot to their feet, the warning sounded again.   
  
They could continue their conversation once they'd dealt with the current situation.   
  


* * *

  
Em was washing his hands in the sink, humming under his breath, when Frankenstein returned to the laboratory. Frankenstein saw the water ran pink for a second before it cleared and they waited for the door to close behind them before speaking.   
  
"Was the stabilisers your doing?" The Union had made the base to be repaired, but for something to fall apart so suddenly when it had been working perfectly the day before was very incompetent, even for the Union.   
  
"Yeah." Em smirked, drying his hands. "It distracts everyone."   
  
Including themself, as they scrambled to fix it. Frankenstein suppressed a sigh - they hadn't managed to continue their conversation with Muzaka afterwards, other things needing to be done.   
  
Well, it would give them time to think over what Muzaka had said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When do you ever sleep?"

Frankenstein heard the decontamination doors open, but that was a distant sound, something not important.   
  
Whoever was entering wasn't important. What was important was if they could figure out just what exactly this sample w-  
  
"When do you ever sleep?"  
  
Frankenstein looked up, blinking. "During the night?" Which was... Ah. What time _was_ it?   
  
Muzaka's grin was enough of an answer as he walked over. "Which is right now."   
  
Hm. Frankenstein shook their head. "I still have samples to check and-"   
  
Muzaka rested his hands on theirs, drawing them away from the computer. "An' you can do that in the mornin'."   
  
"Why do you care?" Frankenstein frowned at their question. That wasn't something they would have normally said - were they more tired than they thought?   
  
Muzaka continued leading them out the specimen room, a hand at their back, Frankenstein allowing him to. "Why shouldn't I care about my crewmates?"   
  
Ah, they should have expected an answer like that from Muzaka. "We're in the Union," was Frankenstein's glib answer, and yes, sleep deprivation was affecting their answers. They should stop talking.   
  
"Which still means we can look out for each other," Muzaka said. "They're makin' us work in a group for a reason."   
  
To kill each other. This time, Frankenstein was able to keep a hold of their tongue. The hiss of the decontamination spray made them wince, a headache building in their head, and all right, they may have been staring at a screen for too long.   
  
It was a short distance from there to the crew's quarters, Frankenstein's mind both wandering and blanking in turns. They frowned, one thought circling their mind.   
  
"How did you know I would be in the specimen room?" It was both a valid question and a simple one, though they couldn't quite grasp and remember the answers for it.   
  
"Yer always in the specimen room, and if you're not, you're in the medbay or the lab."   
  
No, that wasn't what Frankenstein had meant. "How did you know I was still awake?" That was better.   
  
Muzaka grinned at them. "The lights were on."   
  
...Oh. Right. That made sense.   
  
Frankenstein blinked when Muzaka stopped in the middle of the corridor.   
  
"We're here."  
  
Frankenstein looked around, and then sighed. They hadn't recognised they were in the crew's quarters.   
  
"Try to get some sleep, yeah?" Muzaka said, patting Frankenstein's shoulder.   
  
"I should," Frankenstein mumbled, swiping their hand over the door panel. If they were lucky, they might reach their bed before they fell asleep.   
  
"Heh, 'night." Warmth at Frankenstein's cheek, and Muzaka was gone.   
  
Hm. They were starting to get used to Muzaka kissing them.   
  
They could think about it more after they'd slept.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em wants to know something.

Frankenstein felt Em approaching at the edge of their awareness as they puttered around in their lab. 'Their' lab. That sounded nice.

It wasn't really their lab, not when they were just being tested here and would be moved once everything was over, but Frankenstein was steadily making the lab their own, especially since no-one else in the crew had shown an interest in it, or the other facilities on this side of the building. The last meeting's deliberations had taken a while, but now they could concentrate on putting everything in order again.

"Yes, Em?" they said, once the doors were closed.

Em didn't say anything, coming closer.

They looked up, an eyebrow raised. Usually Em said what he wanted to as soon as possible.

Em was studying them, lips pursed. "You killed Kranz for Muzaka."

Frankenstein raised their other eyebrow in surprise, and then laughed, setting down their beaker, in case they jostled it too much. "You think Muzaka would ask me to kill someone?" Em might not have spent much time with Muzaka, but unless Em was completely unobservant, it was clear Muzaka had no ill will against people.

Em rolled his eyes. "No. But Kranz almost got Muzaka spaced in the previous meeting, and now he's dead." He narrowed his eyes at Frankenstein. "I didn't do it."

"And it's our mission to kill crewmates, is it not?" Frankenstein said. The more they killed, the faster they would win.

"Then why don't you kill Muzaka?" Em shot back. "You're alone with him a lot."

Ah... "I can never quite fully catch him unawares," Frankenstein said, shaking their head. Muzaka always seemed to have his eye on them whenever they looked. Even that first time when they'd tried, Muzaka had been too quick for them.

"Hm." Em scowled for a second, and then sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, he's hard to kill."

Frankenstein's stomach twisted and... Ah. They hadn't felt this the first time Em mentioned trying to kill Muzaka. Nor had they felt the relief of knowing Em had failed before.

Then...did they want Muzaka to live? But their mission...

The win condition was if imposters equalled the same number as crewmates. Muzaka had a chance of surviving to the end. It was doubtful they would see each other again after that, but then at least Frankenstein would know Muzaka had been alive then.

Though what had changed? Why did they want Muzaka to live now? Yes, Muzaka's company was enjoyable, but that hadn't stopped Frankenstein from killing someone before.

Maybe they should think about it more in-depth, than just in passing between sorting things out in their lab...


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankenstein was collecting samples.

Frankenstein had just finished collecting new samples to the south of the base when they paused, taking in the scenery. In some ways, there wasn't much to see: just an endless horizon of purple rock contrasted against the white snow, and yet...   
  
And yet...?   
  
Frankenstein exhaled, their breath fogging up their helmet.   
  
It was still different from the white (or off-white and rusted) walls of the Union bases Frankenstein had grown accustomed to.   
  
And yet.   
  
They were alone here, watching something they weren't part of as life swirled on around them.   
  
Their communicator crackled. [Heeey, Frankenstein.]  
  
Frankenstein found themself smiling when they recognised Muzaka's voice, their chest lightening. Well, they weren't quite so alone.   
  
[Have you finished in the boiler room?] Frankenstein asked, picking up their samples-filled case and looked around. Muzaka was behind them, his white space suit easy to see, walking up.   
  
[Yeah, so I was checkin' where you were.] Muzaka caught up with them, and together, they headed back to the base.   
  
[It's not time for bed yet,] Frankenstein said, amused. They'd just had lunch and they knew they hadn't been collecting samples for _that_ long, even if it was hard to tell the time outside when the day-night cycle here was much longer than Frankenstein was used to.   
  
[Hey, I dunno if you actually went to sleep last night or not.]  
  
[Oh?] Frankenstein raised an eyebrow, even though Muzaka wouldn't be able to see past the reflected glass. [Would you rather you stayed in my quarters to make sure?]  
  
[I mean,] Muzaka replied without hesitation, [I wouldn't say no...] Frankenstein could _hear_ his grin. And there was no need to see Muzaka's face when Muzaka lingered long enough so their shoulders brushed while they waited for the office room to decompress.   
  
Muzaka was studying Frankenstein when they removed their helmets, waiting, and...yes.   
  
Frankenstein leaned in closer and kissed Muzaka's cheek. "Hmmm," they said, stepping away, "I'll think about it."   
  
Muzaka's smile at that was blinding.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew gets sick.

Sometimes -a lot of the time- Frankenstein preferred being alone in the lab. They could put things in the order they wanted and made sense to them, so they knew exactly where things were. The silence meant they weren't being assessed and they could do what they felt was more important.   
  
There were downsides to apparently being the only medically-minded person in the crew.   
  
"And is it just a fever and rash you're experiencing?" Frankenstein asked, thinking over what medications they had available.   
  
"No," Mary said, her lips pursed. "I have a headache."   
  
Frankenstein nodded, getting up. "I can give you something for it that should help."  
  
Being alone when an unknown bug was sweeping through the crewmates made them a lot busier than they had been before.   
  


* * *

  
M-21 felt like crap. His skin itched, was sensitive, and the air was heavier, dragging him down.   
  
Fuck.   
  
Was he dying?   
  
Had he done something wrong? Was he being killed for not doing his mission?  
  
Then...he should just accept it. He couldn't run from the Union and however they controlled him.   
  
M-21 wobbled a couple steps, eyeing a hole in the ground. Couldn't show weakness. Couldn't be found by others. Had to hide.  
  
The hole would do. If he crawled in far enough, he wouldn't be found.   
  
M-21 climbed in, his arms trembling as sweat dripped down his neck.   
  
Far enough...?   
  
Hopefully.   
  


* * *

  
Muzaka hummed, crossing his arms. It had been a while since he'd seen Em. It wasn't _that_ strange, but Em was usually skirting the edge of his periphery, and Muzaka was sure it had been hours since he'd last seen his crewmate.   
  
He wasn't in the boiler room or O2...   
  
Not in security or electrical... (Not that Muzaka was surprised at that - Em eyed both places with distaste whenever he passed.)  
  
Muzaka slipped his helmet on before going outside, and paused. Forward was storage, and to his right was communications. If he went forward, he could continue on to the medbay and lab, and through there, eventually loop around to communications. Hopefully he would have found Em before then, but if he didn't, he should have searched everywhere, aside from the expanse outside the base.   
  
Entering storage, Muzaka's eyes was drawn to the silver helmet laying on the floor, rolling on its side. As if it had been dropped.   
  
No, no, no-  
  
Muzaka rushed in, trying to find Em.   
  
No blood pool or splatter marks. No toppled shelves or broken items laying around.   
  
He paused, staring around him. What...? The storage room was empty.   
  
Muzaka started at the door again and walked through, going between the line of shelves, but there was no bo-  
  
There was a hole in the far corner no-one had gotten around to filling yet and Muzaka could just see the tip of a silver boot poking through.   
  
" _Em_?" Muzaka called out, rushing over. He grabbed the boot and shook it. No blood around. The boot wasn't completely limp. Then-?  
  
A weak grumble, Em trying to pull his boot away.   
  
Muzaka closed his eyes, breathing a sigh of relief. Still alive. Good.   
  
"What're you doin' down there, hey?" Muzaka said, wiggling Em's boot again. "Were you too tired to go to bed?"   
  
Em tried to tug his boot away again, and Muzaka furrowed his brow, frowning. Em would have reacted stronger than that.   
  
"Em? You okay?" Muzaka said, trying to peer into the darkness of the hole. He could see Em's spacesuit, but he couldn't see Em's head.   
  
"Rrr..."  
  
That didn't sound right.   
  
Muzaka reached in, grabbing a fistful of Em's spacesuit and dragged him out.   
  
Em's face was flushed when he emerged, the purple splotches Muzaka had seen on some of the other crewmates creeping up from Em's neck. "Damn, it got you too?"  
  
Em's eyes slitted, the whites of his eyes darkening as Em growled and struggled against him, trying to reach for the hole.   
  
"Hey, hey, hey," Muzaka said, pulling him close. "Yer not going back down there, okay? We need ta get you to Frankenstein."   
  
"Nooo..." Em panted, his struggles weakening.   
  
Right, they had to _go_.   
  
Muzaka scooped Em up into his arms and headed for the door. He picked up Em's helmet on the way and jammed it on Em's head before they exited storage.   
  


* * *

  
[Oi, Frankenstein, bringin' Em over.]  
  
Frankenstein looked up at the comms call, frowning. Why was Muzaka bringing Em and why had he felt the need to warn them?   
  
A little more information would have been nice, but Frankenstein prepared themself anyway. Muzaka wouldn't do such a thing for nothing and they would find out the truth soon enough.   
  
Frankenstein hadn't expected to see Muzaka _carrying_ Em into the medbay in his arms. Possibly dragging Em in behind him with Em protesting as much as he could, but not carrying.   
  
Something was very, very wrong.   
  
There was no blood, Em's spacesuit whole as far as Frankenstein could tell.   
  
"Over here," Frankenstein said, gesturing to the closest bed.   
  
Muzaka lay Em there, and when Frankenstein removed Em's helmet, there was a shower of dark purple dust that came out with it.   
  
Em's eyes were transformed. Frankenstein froze, ice shooting through their veins. How much had Muzaka seen? Had it only happened while Em's helmet was on?   
  
Em's eyes were half-lidded and hopefully- "Thank you for bringing him here," Frankenstein said as they smiled, trying to draw Muzaka's eyes away from Em. "This might take a while to stabilise him and-"  
  
"I'll get away so I'm not underfoot, heh. Catch ya later and hope ya feel better soon, Em." Muzaka left with a wave behind him.   
  
Em growled at that and Frankenstein nudged him, Em cutting himself off.   
  
They stared at each other for a second before Em looked away with a grimace. He whined, a weak sound of pain and confusion, as he curled up and Frankenstein turned away with a sigh, closing the curtain around the bed. Just in case Em couldn't control his transformation when someone else came in.   
  
"Yes, we can get sick," Frankenstein said, picking up the temperature reader. They checked Em's temperature and hid their frown. Hmm, higher than the fevers the others had, and Em hadn't shown any symptoms earlier. "Is there anything else you're experiencing?" How far did that rash go?   
  
Em looked at them blearily long enough that Frankenstein considered repeating their question.   
  
"Why's it matter?" Em grimaced again, as if speaking was painful. "He caught me. Got sick. I'm weak."   
  
Frankenstein paused, trying to make sure they understood Em's ramblings. "Muzaka saw you kill someone?"   
  
Em shook his head, sucking in a breath. "Saw me, saw my eyes. Couldn't get away, couldn't-" Em's breathing was going erratic again.   
  
"It's all right," Frankenstein said, in what they hoped was a soothing voice. "Muzaka doesn't seem the wiser of what you are, or in the very least, suspicious." It was probably because Muzaka wasn't trying to find imposters, so he may have thought Em's change was the same transformation the stronger modified humans had.   
  
"And you aren't alone in being sick - you aren't the first to have caught the bug here, and I very much doubt you'll be the last." Aside from getting hit the hardest and fastest by it, as far as Frankenstein could tell. But they weren't so callous to bring that up when Em's mindset was so delicate.   
  
Was it because he was an imposter that M-21 was affected strongly compared to their crewmates, or was it something else entirely? They would have to run some tests to see if they could find out.   
  
Em scowled at them. It would have looked better if it wasn't clear Em was having trouble focusing on them. " _You_ haven't gotten sick."  
  
"There's still ample time for that," Frankenstein said wryly. And then what would happen? They should write up a guide of what was needed, in case they became too affected to look after the others.   
  
"Hmph." Em settled down and Frankenstein got to work.   
  


* * *

  
Em finally dozed off, his temperature falling, but it was a fitful sleep, Frankenstein keeping an eye on him.   
  
It was good to see Em could get the benefits from the medication but... Frankenstein's mind drifted as they brought their attention back to the screen.   
  
They'd taken some of Em's blood while he rested, and tested it. It had the usual increased white blood cells and that was to be expected.   
  
Frankenstein had never had the chance, never been allowed, to view their own data before. And this... As much as imposters were created and raised in the labs, it was right there in front of Frankenstein's eyes.  
  
At their base, imposters were still humans.   
  
Created, yes. But still humans, from whatever was left after the Union had altered their DNA. Just like modified humans, just slightly different.   
  
Just like Muzaka had said.   
  
Frankenstein sighed, removing their glasses. Their own data was the same. Different from Em's in a number of ways, but ultimately they were still human. Just given a different name, for whatever reason.   
  
To make imposters appear so different from the rest of the modified humans, that it seemed normal for them to kill each other?   
  
And it worked, didn't it?   
  
Frankenstein eyed the data for a second before adjusting it. To the untrained eye, their original data would look like modified humans like the rest of the crewmates, but if someone who knew the difference saw them... Deleting their data would arouse suspicion if only two people were left out of the recordings. Therefore, it was better if they changed their own data and Em's so they were even more in line with everyone else's.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein looked across at the hiss of the medbay doors opening.   
  
"Yo," Muzaka said, his voice hushed, his eyes darting around the room.   
  
Frankenstein smiled, seeing him. "Em's already left, so you don't have to worry about disturbing him."   
  
Muzaka relaxed. "Oh, okay!"   
  
"He insisted," Frankenstein said with a sigh. Or more, had disappeared from the bed when Frankenstein was in the lab. If he was able to do that and get away before Frankenstein caught him, it meant Em was feeling significantly better, so they didn't chase him up. While Em had been hit the hardest by the bug, he had also recovered the fastest as well.   
  
"He got to sleep in a bed instead of a hole in the ground. I bet it helped a lot." Muzaka said. "I might try fillin' that up soon - someone could trip over it."   
  
"It would be for the best," Frankenstein said. They were already dealing with making sure everyone was healthy - they didn't want to deal with twisted ankles as well.   
  
"And you?"   
  
Frankenstein tilted their head. "Mm?" Had they missed something?  
  
"You feelin' okay?" Muzaka asked, looking them over.   
  
"Oh." Frankenstein laughed, warming again. "Yes, I haven't caught anything so far. Thank you for worrying about me."   
  
Now they could concentrate on making sure the others recovered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em gives Frankenstein and Muzaka an alibi; Frankenstein kind of wished he didn't.

"I haven't seen Muzaka in a while," Mary said, narrowing her eyes at Muzaka.   
  
...Ah. "Muzaka is usu-" Frankenstein started.   
  
They were interrupted by Em's snort.   
  
"What is it?" Mary said.   
  
Em rolled his eyes. "Muzaka didn't do it, because he and Frankenstein were fucking in medbay."   
  
Silence.  
  
Frankenstein tried not to squirm, their face heating up as all eyes turned towards them and Muzaka.   
  
"Ah, that's-"   
  
Mary sighed. "All right, who else can't be accounted for?"  
  
...No-one was going to question it further?  
  


* * *

  
"Em," Frankenstein said the next time they were in the lab together, their voice strained, "please don't insinuate that I was distracted during work; that was during my break."  
  
Em glared at them. "It was an alibi for you and Muzaka. And it makes you look human."   
  
"That's true but..." Frankenstein sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose. "Muzaka and I weren't 'fucking', we were kissing."   
  
Em scrunched up his nose. "What's the difference?"   
  
"A lot," Frankenstein said with a sigh. "But I suppose you're right, and the most important part was Muzaka and I could confirm each other's presence." Though the time frame would be far shorter with kissing. Still. Were they being more obvious than they thought if the others accepted the alibi so easily?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muzaka makes sure Frankenstein sleeps at a reasonable time.

Frankenstein smiled when they heard the decontamination doors hiss open. There was only one person who came to visit them this deep into the building. They could understand why the others were apprehensive there, having bad connotations with laboratories and similar places, but even so, gaining more knowledge far outstripped any unease Frankenstein may have had. Especially when they were making the space their own.   
  
"Checking on me?" Frankenstein called out, double-checking their samples.   
  
"You make it sound like that's the _only_ reason why I come to see ya," Muzaka said, emerging from the decontamination area.   
  
"Oh?" They set everything aside, making sure everything was saved. "What are the other reasons?"  
  
"Well..." Muzaka was there when they turned around. They didn't move when Muzaka leaned his hands on the counter beside their hips, Muzaka pressing his forehead to theirs. "I like the way you taste," he murmured, closing the gap and kissing them.   
  
Frankenstein hummed, curling a hand around the back of Muzaka's neck. When Muzaka deepened the kiss, Frankenstein sucked in a breath, pressing into it, their fingers stroking Muzaka's neck.   
  
Muzaka pulled away, grinning. "And I like the way you look, heh," he continued, kissing them quickly again. "Buuut you should go ta bed."   
  
"And I suppose this is your way of pulling me away from my work?" Frankenstein said, switching off the machines as they headed for the northern decontamination room.   
  
"Is it workin'?"   
  
"...Yes," Frankenstein admitted. Muzaka's presence was enough to distract Frankenstein's thoughts for a little while, stalling whatever thread of thought they were having. The kisses were an added bonus.   
  
"Then I should do this more often!"   
  
"Only when I'm up late," Frankenstein said wryly. They did have things they wanted to finish in the laboratory.   
  
"Deal," Muzaka said, wrapping an arm around Frankenstein's shoulders with a laugh.   
  


* * *

  
Was there a connection? Yes, there were similarities in the samples but it was as if they had-  
  
Frankenstein startled when arms wrapped around their shoulders, a warm body pressed up against their back.   
  
A kiss to their cheek and a soft chuckle that was fast becoming familiar to Frankenstein's ears.   
  
"Guess what time it is?"   
  
"Mmm, since you're here," Frankenstein said, leaning back against Muzaka, "I suppose it's time for bed?"   
  
"You got it," Muzaka said, kissing their cheek again.   
  
Frankenstein sighed, putting away the samples when Muzaka stepped away. "Maybe I should set an alarm."   
  
"You would either ignore it, or not hear it."   
  
"...True." They hadn't heard Muzaka come in, after all.   
  
It didn't take long to tidy everything away and the trip to the crew's quarters was just as quick.   
  
Maybe a little too quick.   
  
"Somethin' wrong?" Muzaka asked as they stood outside Frankenstein's door.   
  
Frankenstein mulled it over. "We aren't able to spend much time together, are we?" Between trying to rebuild the base to working order and Frankenstein's attempts at both keeping the crewmates healthy and studying the world around them, they were only able to grab a few minutes together between tasks, or during meal times.   
  
"No, we're not."   
  
"Then..." How to say this. "Would you like to spend time in my quarters?" Frankenstein asked, studying Muzaka's face.   
  
A smile spread across Muzaka's face, and he leaned in to kiss Frankenstein. "Now?"  
  
Frankenstein hummed at the kiss, smiling. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't mean now."   
  
"Then yeah, of course I do!"   
  
It was nice feeling Muzaka follow them into their room, the door hissing shut behind them. But... "What now?" They knew humans socialised and did things together, but as for the actual activities... Frankenstein didn't know.   
  
" _Now_ ," Muzaka said, tugging at their spacesuit, "you get ta bed."   
  
Frankenstein stared at him, before breathing a laugh, taking off their spacesuit. "That _was_ the promise, wasn't it?"   
  
"I'm not coming into your room to keep you up all night, when I dragged you to yer room to get ya to sleep," Muzaka said, shaking his head as he took off his own spacesuit.   
  
"I suppose." Frankenstein eyed their bed. The single bed. It was roomy enough by themselves, but with two people...   
  
"Depends on if ya move around a lot or not," Muzaka said, settling in on one side.   
  
"I wouldn't know," Frankenstein admitted. They had always slept alone as far as they were aware, and their sleeping habits weren't something the scientists had felt was important enough to bring up.   
  
"I guess we'll find out then," Muzaka said, grinning. "I'm a hugger, just so you know."   
  
"I'm not surprised," Frankenstein muttered, laying down on the other side, facing him. Muzaka was very physical with his interactions, always trying to touch the person he was talking with, one way or another.   
  
Muzaka radiated heat. Frankenstein already knew that from the hugs and time they'd spent kissing, but they hadn't realised just how much the spacesuit had been containing.   
  
"How do you not overheat in the boiler room?" Frankenstein said, frowning.   
  
"I'm not in the spacesuit," Muzaka said, "an' I take breaks a lot of the time."   
  
Good that he was taking precautions.   
  
"But it's time to put that brain to sleep, yeah?" Muzaka said, brushing some hair away from Frankenstein's face, tapping their forehead with his index finger. "I'll answer yer questions in the morning."   
  
"Hnnng." Now that Muzaka was _here_ , they could ask.   
  
" _Night_ , Frankenstein," Muzaka said, amused.   
  
Frankenstein exhaled, their own breath bouncing back at them. "Fine."   
  
Hearing someone with them in their room was a novel experience, but even then, the day was catching up with them, and Frankenstein drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M-21 liked to nap.

M-21 liked to nap. It was usually in the lab, because not many people went there, or the boiler room, because Muzaka was there. Muzaka didn't care he napped, or that he wasn't doing tasks. Concentrating on doing tasks for a long time, even with the adaptions Muzaka had done to help, eventually gave him a headache.   
  
It was more effort fixing up the base than it was to kill someone. _That_ M-21 knew and could do.   
  
Staring at things to piece them together over and over and over again was annoying and still took as much effort as the first time M-21 tried to do it. It never got any easier, no matter how much M-21 did them.   
  
The boiler room was cosy enough and barely anyone came _here_ ei-  
  
"Hey, Em. "  
  
M-21 jolted awake, scooting back, just able to stop baring his teeth from reflex.   
  
Muzaka had stopped trying to shake him awake, after M-21 had almost bit him a few times.   
  
"C'mon, Em, time for a break," Muzaka said, giving Em room.   
  
M-21 scowled but got to his feet. The only problem was Muzaka would sometimes wake him up to make sure he didn't overheat by staying in the room too long.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein paused when the boiler room door opened, getting used to not walking in straight away and letting their body acclimatise a little first.   
  
They grimaced - was the room even hotter than usual? Muzaka had mentioned he was going to attempt to make some adjustments, and there was definitely _some_ change made.   
  
Frankenstein headed towards the sound of movement that was hiding underneath the clank of machinery. It wasn't long before movement caught their eye and -  
  
Ah.   
  
Yes. The boiler room _was_ hotter, if Muzaka had taken to stripping off his top as well, revealing a network of scars underneath it. There were even a few that travelled down below his belt and Frankenstein was curious how they had happened. During a fight, or something else?   
  
"Oh, hey," Muzaka said, perking up at the sight of them. "What's up?"   
  
"I just wanted to see you," Frankenstein said, walking up, still studying Muzaka's scars. "That's quite the collection you have there."   
  
"Eh." Muzaka shrugged. "I'm sure everyone's got their own. What's yours like?"   
  
Frankenstein heard the boiler room door open, but by the time they looked back, the door was already closing again, no-one else there. Though Frankenstein did sense Em's presence close by, and getting further by the second.  
  
Hm, he must have walked close enough to trip the sensor.   
  
"Oh, I've been rather lucky in that regard..." Frankenstein said, turning their attention back to Muzaka. What Em was doing was his business.   
  


* * *

  
"They didn't do it because Frankenstein and Muzaka were fucking in the boiler room this time," Em said, scowling a hole in the table at the latest meeting.   
  
Eh? Frankenstein blinked at Em. How did Em kn-  
  
"You seem to know when they're doing that a lot," Mary said dryly.   
  
"I was trying to nap there!" Em snapped, his scowl deepening. "They didn't check the room before they started!"  
  
...Ah. Em had been in the boiler room when they'd arrived? They hadn't seen... Well, they hadn't attempted to look elsewhere, only trying to find Muzaka.   
  
Then, the door opening had been Em leaving?   
  
Muzaka raised his hand. "I knew Em was-"  
  
" _Right_ ," Jake interrupted, covering his face with a hand. "They've all vouched for each other so can we fucking stop talking about it now."   
  
Was there something wrong with...  
  
Ah.   
  
That _did_ sound strange.   
  
No wonder Em was glaring at them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The imposters win. And yet, they don't.

M-21 growled, dodging the arterial spray. It missed him, and he peered at himself as Jake hit the floor, double-checking if he'd been -  
  
He ducked, hearing the klaxon, announcing a meeting.   
  
He stopped breathing, and he span around, eyeing the windows. He'd been seen.   
  
Shit shit _shit_. Someone had seen him!   
  
He was going to be spaced.   
  
He'd been caught and he was going to be spaced.   
  
He couldn't hide. He'd been caught. He was dead either way - running was useless when there was nothing else on this planet. It would be easier to hide on the base, but...he'd been seen. He was useless now. A failure.   
  
Failures weren't allowed to live.   
  
M-21 slunk out of weapons. It wasn't that far from the off-  
  
He flinched when someone clapped him on the shoulder. M-21 already knew who it was before he looked - only Muzaka touched him here.   
  
[Heya, Em. Good to see yer okay.]  
  
M-21 frowned. Muzaka hadn't seen him kill? Muzaka must have been coming from the boiler room after the announcement.   
  
Then...Mary? She must have seen him. She was the only one left.   
  
She was leaning on the wall like she normally was when M-21 and Muzaka entered the office meeting room. She nodded towards them and. Uh. That didn't seem like she'd seen him? Then who...?  
  
"Frankenstein not here yet?" Muzaka said, sitting on one of the chairs and putting his feet on the table as he leaned back.   
  
"No," Mary said, eyes on the door. "And Jake..." She sighed. "He's normally late too."  
  
Frankenstein usually had to travel from the lab - even if it was connected to the same building as the office, travelling through the specimen room sometimes took longer because of decontamination. And that was if he paid attention to the klaxon in the first place.   
  
M-21 looked over when the projector on the other side of the room turned itself on. That...didn't normally happen. He saw Muzaka straighten from the corner of his eye, so he was surprised too?   
  
M-21 heard the decontamination doors open in the distance as a face flickered onto the wall. It was a woman with her dark hair tied back. She wasn't wearing a labcoat like a scientist but she had the same look in her eyes as them.   
  
"Sorry I'm - ah?" Frankenstein said as he hurried in, his attention drawn by the projection.   
  
" _Purple?_ " The woman glanced at something off-camera, and then nodded. " _That's everyone, then._ "   
  
The Union knew who was living and dead here? M-21 tried to not duck his head to study himself. He had a tracker in himself? There was a biometrics reader in the office, but M-21 thought only they could read it, not that it was sending information to the Union.   
  
"Then...you were the one who called the meeting, ma'am?" Frankenstein said, still standing. It was weird hearing him call anyone 'ma'am', but then...M-21 would be the same if he was talking to anyone in the Union. Being polite to the Union scientists and workers were mandatory.   
  
" _Yes_." Her eyes wandered off screen again, reading something.   
  
...M-21 hadn't been seen killing someone? He wasn't a failure? He wasn't going to be spaced?  
  
" _You've completed the first round - another group will be sent to your location soon._ "   
  
"First-" Frankenstein repeated. " _Another_ group?"   
  
M-21 eyed Frankenstein. Why was he so surprised?   
  
When M-21 looked back, he ducked his head, seeing the woman's pursed lips. Frankenstein had spoken out of line.   
  
" _Is there some interference with the comms?_ " she asked, eyebrow raised. " _That's what I said._ "   
  
"I...Yes." Frankenstein cleared his throat. "Carry on, ma'am."   
  
" _You'll be expected to continue with your tasks when they arrive,_ " the woman said. " _We'll contact you again when you've proven you can work on a proper Union ship._ "  
  
The projector switched off before anyone could reply.   
  
So there was going to be more people sent there for him to kill? Fine. He could do that.  
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein leaned their hands on the counter. The samples they'd been testing was in front of their eyes, but they couldn't see it, hearing the Union operative's voice still echoing in their ears.  
  
 _'You've completed the first round - another group will be sent to your location soon.'_  
  
They'd won. They'd _won_. Why was the test continuing?   
  
They fisted their hands, rage thrumming in their head.   
  
What had they been doing this for? When was it going to _stop_?   
  
When the new group arrived, they and M-21 could continue to do their job, and then what? Another group would be sent? A never ending cycle that only the Union decided to end.   
  
They gritted their teeth, their arms trembling as they tried to control their breathing. The new group would bring new imposters. It had to.   
  
Em listened to Frankenstein, but would the new ones? Would they be able to agree on anything?   
  
Would they target Muzaka?   
  
They considered it for a second, their stomach twisting. Muzaka had proven he could easily handle himself, but maybe the new imposters would be different.   
  
Frankenstein didn't know.   
  
They didn't know _anything_.   
  
They couldn't trust the Union's promises, their words.   
  
Muzaka had been right. There weren't many differences between imposters and crewmates, in the grand scheme of things. They were all the same in the Union's eyes, just with a different arbitrary label.   
  
So what were they going to do now...?  
  


* * *

  
"Em..." Frankenstein started, when Em entered their medbay.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
They exhaled, studying Em. His lips were pursed, though he didn't have his customary scowl. Then...? "What did you think of the Union's decision?"  
  
Em blinked at them. "We just have to kill more people. What's wrong with that?"   
  
_Everything_. "We'd already won this...round," Frankenstein pointed out. "Do we know what could happen after this one?"  
  
Em looked at them, his eyebrows drawn in in confusion. "If there's a third round, we kill them off too. If we're moved to a ship, we kill people there. What's the difference?"   
  
That...was true. No matter the circumstances, their mission was to secretly kill until they were ordered to stop.   
  
"The difference is the Union hasn't been quite as transparent about their orders or when they'll end," Frankenstein said.   
  
"So?" Em crossed his arms. "All we have to do is follow their orders."   
  
It was that simple, huh...? "And if we were to not...?" Frankenstein said softly, still studying Em. His answers so far made Frankenstein reasonably sure what Em's reaction would be, but they'd been wrong before.   
  
All emotion wiped off Em's face before he raised himself up, growling and curling his lip. "You'd not do _our mission_? They'll kill you!"   
  
Would they? Did the Union honestly care about one base out of the hundreds of testing sites they had dotted around the galaxy?   
  
Yes, the Union kept track of their vitals to check what the imposter-crewmate ratio was, but if the numbers weren't whittled down, then would the Union notice?  
  
"I-"  
  
" _You_ can be killed for failing," Em snapped, fur creeping along his cheeks, his eyes darkening, "but I won't."  
  
Em span around and left.   
  
When the doors hissed shut, Frankenstein sagged against the medbay counter, holding themselves up with their hands at the edge.   
  
Hah... Why had that conversation exhausted them so much?  
  
Or were they just too tired? Tired with the killing, tired with the hiding, always looking over their shoulder, in case they were doing something that made them stand out.   
  
They far preferred studying the samples they collected, trying to see what their commonalities were, organising them. The satisfaction of seeing the others healthy under their care. That they'd made a difference.   
  
_That_ was what they wanted to do, not kill.   
  
And that wasn't something they would be allowed to do while the Union was still in control of their lives.   
  
They couldn't stop Em, not when it seemed he was concerned about his life, and Frankenstein didn't know what the new crew or imposters would do.   
  
Would the others be tired of the potential never ending cycle?  
  
They didn't know.   
  
But maybe it was time to start considering a way out of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People use 'he' pronouns for Frankenstein because Frankenstein never corrected them - they felt doing so might make them stand out and could make others suspect they're an imposter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankenstein reaches out.

Frankenstein paused at the boiler room door, trying to adjust to the heat. It seemed like Muzaka had changed what he'd needed to, the heat being marginally more bearable than before.   
  
They followed their ears to where they could hear Muzaka working.   
  
Yes, it must have been cooler, because Muzaka was wearing a top this time. Which...Frankenstein found a little disappointing. They had liked trying to map Muzaka's scars, curious where they were.   
  
"Hey, Frankenstein," Muzaka said, grinning at him. "What's up?"   
  
They peered around, trying to see if Em was nearby.   
  
"You lookin' for Em?" Muzaka said. "He's not here." He chuckled, setting down the wrench he was holding as he walked up to Frankenstein. "You worried he might see somethin' again?"   
  
Frankenstein huffed. "He hadn't last time." Em had left before they'd barely began talking, let alone kissing. He studied Muzaka, mulling it over. "You don't mind?"   
  
"Mind what? And do you wanna go to O2 first?"  
  
"That would be _far_ more preferable," Frankenstein said, grimacing. They were already sticky inside their spacesuit; if they spent too long in there, they would probably start melting.   
  
"Heh," Muzaka said as they walked towards the exit.   
  
Frankenstein exhaled when they left the boiler room, wiping away at the sweat that had already beaded over their face.   
  
There was a small metal basin filled with water packets at the base of the tree when they entered O2. Muzaka took one as he sat down, just rolling it between his hands. Frankenstein walked around the tree enough to make sure there was no-one behind the truck before sitting down next to him.   
  
"What were you askin' before?" Muzaka said, just leaning back against the tree.   
  
Frankenstein studied the leaves above them - they were starting to yellow at the tips. A change in the season, or something else? Did this area even have seasons? "I was asking if you minded Em telling the others we're, ah, more intimate than we actually are," Frankenstein said. They'd so far only kept it to kissing - Frankenstein hadn't felt a need to explore below the belt yet, and as Em had so easily proven, they didn't always have the privacy they thought they did. With how busy the crew were maintaining the base, they didn't have much time for more anyway.   
  
"Oh, that?" Muzaka smiled, shaking his head. "Nah. It gets across we were together, and, well..." He trailed off, his smile turning into a smirk as he looked at Frankenstein from the corner of his eyes.   
  
Frankenstein smiled at that. Well. They might not feel a need, but they were still curious to explore Muzaka and see how he reacted.   
  
Their smile faded as they leaned back on the tree, exhaling. "I want to talk to you about something..." they said. No-one else was in O2. It was open enough that they could easily see if anyone else was there. There was one vent in the corner, but Em already knew and wouldn't tell others, because that would mean revealing himself, and Em wouldn't risk that.   
  
"Yeah?" Muzaka tore open the packet, tipping his head back and drinking from it.   
  
Frankenstein picked at their glove, trying to sort out what they wanted to say. They knew what it was, but actually saying it... That was different.   
  
Muzaka had trusted them with his thoughts, so why couldn't they just say it?   
  
Because they were far too used to misdirecting, to hiding in the shadows when they could. Being unobtrusive, not saying what they really thought to draw attention to themself.   
  
They exhaled, still picking at their glove.   
  
This was something they wanted to do, not something the Union had told them to do. This was something that could make them stand out and make others scrutinise them.   
  
It was easy to talk to Em, because Em wouldn't be able to tell the others without revealing himself. It was _safe_.   
  
This wasn't. This was exposing themself in a way they hadn't realised they'd never done before.   
  
"I've...been considering..." Their voice almost died right there, their heart hammering.   
  
They could kill someone without a thought, and lie to someone's face about what they'd been doing at the time, but they couldn't say they were planning on working against the Union?  
  
Practice. Because they had far more practice with the former than the latter.   
  
And the only way to get better was to do it.   
  
They smiled a little when Muzaka laid a hand on their knee, giving it a squeeze.   
  
Yes. They had to say this. They couldn't run away from it. They needed Muzaka's help with this; they wouldn't be able to do it alone.   
  
Exhaling, Frankenstein lay their hand over Muzaka's.   
  
"I want to see if we can rebuild the dropship," Frankenstein said, faster than they would normally speak, forcing themself to watch Muzaka's face for any minute changes, in case they'd misread him. "If we're able to figure out a way off this base, find a way to not be tracked..." Frankenstein's voice _did_ die then. And then what? Be free? Be constantly on the run from the Union?   
  
Who knew.   
  
But the thought of being able to decide what their future was, rather than being told what to do...  
  
No. They couldn't think about that right now.   
  
That was only a possibility. They had to get away from the Union first before they could entertain the thought.   
  
...And Muzaka still hadn't said anything yet.   
  
He hadn't pulled his hand away though, so maybe he was thinking it over?   
  
"You wanna get out of here?"   
  
"Yes," Frankenstein said. "I don't want-" Where to start? "I'd rather not stay here, and have our fates played with by the Union."   
  
Muzaka nodded, turning his hand so they intertwined their fingers. "Heh, I didn't think anyone else wanted to escape - everyone was just focused on doing well for the Union. What made you change yer mind?"  
  
Frankenstein's stomach squirmed. They'd been doing exactly that: believing that if they did as they were told, they would be rewarded... With more of the same. But it still seemed like they'd proven themselves by doing it.   
  
Em was right. Whether the test continued or not, they were doing the same either way.   
  
They just...didn't want to do it anymore.   
  
Frankenstein ran their thumb over Muzaka's hand, studying it. He was more tanned than they were, slivers of scars there as well. "I realised you were right about a lot of things. About the Union, that they say whatever they want to manipulate people." They paused, just staring at Muzaka's hand again. Should they tell Muzaka? He had said he didn't think there was a difference between crewmates and imposters, but to reveal what they were was to reveal what they had been doing in the base.   
  
But they were tired of lying. And what was the point in escaping the Union if they had to hide themselves from Muzaka?   
  
"That there's little difference between crewmembers and imposters," Frankenstein said. Hm, maybe that was too obtuse.   
  
"Yeah, that's what I said," Muzaka said, nodding.   
  
Frankenstein sighed. Yes, that was too obtuse. Then... As plainly as they could. "I was more meaning..." Even trying to say it felt strange on their tongue. "I discovered that my DNA is far more similar to human than I'd been lead to believe." Still not that plain, but years of not talking about what they were was hard to overcome.   
  
"Oh." Muzaka squeezed their hand. "Okay."   
  
That was-? Frankenstein let out a short laugh, leaning against Muzaka, Muzaka nuzzling their head.   
  
Yes, Muzaka had said his position about imposters from the very start. "You don't mind?" That they'd lied to Muzaka, that they'd killed the others.   
  
"We're all doing what the Union tells us because our lives are on the line either way," Muzaka murmured. He huffed. "And now you're not, and by doin' that, you're risking everything."   
  
Frankenstein closed their eyes, humming. Yes, they were. "We won't know what the new group will bring, but hopefully we'll have more allies." People who would help with the dropship. People who didn't want to continue with the cycle of death.   
  
Now they just had to wait for their arrival.   
  
"We'll see what we can figure out about the dropship until then," Muzaka said, kissing Frankenstein's head.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao and Takeo get used to the base.

Tao ran his finger over his set of cat ears as he watched the people around him. They hadn't been allowed to keep much from the first round - it was mostly just a set of clothes and whatever customisation they'd chosen for themselves. And he'd kept his, because it gave him something to play with as he thought.   
  
And this base was _strange_.   
  
Well, maybe not strange-strange. It was just that the base had a whole different vibe than what Tao was used to.   
  
[What do you think?] Tao said, perched on one of the boxes that had been unloaded from their dropship, Takeo on the one higher than him. Of course.   
  
[I think you'll like it here,] Takeo said, amusement clear in his voice.   
  
Tao huffed, his visor misting for a second. [Well, _yeah_! If the minority can become the majority, I _want that_! I wanna hear my name again!]   
  
The ones who'd been waiting for them introduced themselves by _name_. And it wasn't _weird_. Everyone else made it weird by insisting on sticking to the rules and going by their suit colour. Almost everyone anyway. Urgh. As if that was what they would be doing if they ever got promoted past the testing phase. Were they going to have to start calling people 'teal with three-finger width mustard stripe at a sixty degree angle over the middle of the visor' to make sure they could differentiate between people on the ship since there would have to be _thousands_ of variations?  
  
No. They'd be going by _name_.   
  
Before Takeo could reply, Gold -Yuri, and damn, Tao _finally_ knew what his name was- slowed next to where they were sitting. With a laugh, Tao slid off his box, hearing Takeo do the same. [Just getting my bearings,] Tao said.   
  
Better get moving before Gold got mad at them.   
  


* * *

  
Tao's eyes widened when he saw the words SECURITY in faded letters on the wall, and he followed the arrow, hearing Takeo's chuckle chase him. Yeah, he was predictable, but come on! Security was the _most_ imp-  
  
"Eh?"   
  
Tao halted at the sight of the security room. "They have _three_ monitors for this entire place?" What kinda low tech base were they running here? And...Tao blinked at the floor. There was a light coating of purple dust there. No tread marks.   
  
"When was someone even _in_ last time?" Tao said, heading for the keyboard. Did they not - no. They didn't. Going by names, taking off their helmets when it wasn't mealtimes, not having someone constantly on security.   
  
They didn't care about catching imposters.   
  
Huh.   
  
It could explain why there was only four left if there was an imposter among them, but then... Hm.   
  
"This place is _sooo_ different!" Tao said, heading out again. They still needed to map out the rest of the base before he settled in to make the security room his.   
  


* * *

  
Tao snickered when Takeo's walk slowed as they neared Weapons. "Let's see what this looks like then," Tao said.   
  
The door hissed open and Tao's face fell. "Hey! Unfair!" The room was clean, and well-lit. Not exactly _sparkling_ but it was obvious it had at least been _used_.   
  
Takeo walked over to the monitor in the corner and Tao squinted at the little note that was taped to the wall beside the monitor. It had all the instructions on how to do everything in a scratchy, jagged script.   
  
" _Absolutely_ unfair," Tao groused, the monitor not showing anything. Yet.   
  
"It looks like they were more worried about asteroids hitting them than imposters," Takeo said, testing how responsive the controls were.   
  
"They're both equally dangerous!" Tao huffed, crossing his arms. Sure, asteroids could wipe out the entire base, or destroy enough of the central systems that everyone died anyway, _but_ imposters were the same! They would be killing people off one by one, and if they sabotaged any of the systems, that could also kill off everyone.   
  
"They didn't think so," Takeo said, stepping away from the monitor. "...If they even knew about imposters."   
  
Tao narrowed his eyes, turning that over in his mind as they left Weapons. "I guess..." Not all groups worked with the same information so maybe this group didn't know about imposters? Maybe they didn't even _have_ imposters? But then why was the group so small when they arrived?  
  
Hng. Work accidents _did_ still happen, and this place was pretty rundown, even at a glance.   
  
He exhaled. "We'll find out eventually." And for that, they needed to people-watch once they figured out where everything was.   
  


* * *

  
Tao threw himself onto his bed. Or Takeo's. It didn't really matter, since they were sharing a room anyway. It was just...better that way - then there was always someone watching their back, even while they were sleeping. No-one had been killed in their quarters as far as Tao knew, but that could be because he'd started sleeping in Takeo's room and the imposter hadn't had the chance to kill them in their sleep.   
  
Why stop doing something that could be working?   
  
"Who do you think the imposters are?" Tao said, staring up at the ceiling as Takeo sat down next to him.   
  
"Em seems the most obvious," Takeo said, fingercombing his hair. Tao snagged a section, helping to sort out Takeo's hair.   
  
Tao snorted. "Yeah. I dunno how he wasn't spaced in the first meeting." There was just something in the way Em looked at things, eyes narrow as if he was looking for weaknesses. And the way he moved was off as well, just a little too fluid. It just didn't read as _human_ , seeing Em move around in Tao's periphery.   
  
"They weren't looking for an imposter," Takeo reminded him.   
  
Tao grimaced. "Right, right." He'd asked Frankenstein what their goal was here, and the doctor (how had he even ended up on this test? Weren't all the doctors and science-y minded people snapped up by the higher ups?) had said it was just to maintain the base.   
  
That was it.   
  
Nothing about imposters.   
  
Tao blew the hair away from his eyes, braiding Takeo's hair. "What do you think about Muzaka?"   
  
Takeo didn't say anything for a few seconds, braiding the rest of his hair. "He spends a lot of time with Em..."   
  
Tao nodded. "Yeah." If Em was an imposter (and he absolutely was), then anyone he spent time with was in danger. Except Muzaka was friendly with Em, even if Em was a little twitchy around him. "It'd be pretty easy for Em to kill Muzaka-" Like when Tao and Takeo had found them alone in the boiler room. "-so Muzaka has to be the other imposter." It made the most sense. From the digging he'd been able to do into the Union's database, tests usually only placed two imposters at max per group.   
  
"Here, anyway," Tao amended. He hadn't recognised everyone he'd shared the dropship with, so who knew just how many imposters there were walking around.   
  
But they had a start, and now they just had to make sure they weren't alone with either Em or Muzaka.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M-21 stalks Takeo.

M-21 peered through the vent, seeing the flash of Takeo's long hair through the slits. No-one else was with him, and good.   
  
He dropped down when Takeo rounded the corner, the vent sealing itself after him as it usually did.   
  
His jog stuttered when he followed after Takeo, and Takeo was right fucking there, reading one of the notes Muzaka had written on the wall.   
  
Shit.   
  
Takeo looked over at him and smiled. "Hi, Em."   
  
"Hey." No. It wasn't going to work. Not when Takeo already had his eye on him. But maybe he could pass behind Takeo and-  
  
"Heeey, Takeo!"   
  
_Shit_.   
  
Tao poked his head around the other end of the corridor. Tao waved at him. "Yo, Em, nice ta see ya! Where ya headed?"   
  
"Storage," M-21 said, continuing to jog towards Tao.   
  
He _definitely_ couldn't do anything right now.   
  
He was able to keep the anger off his face until he slipped his helmet on to go outside, where he could scowl as much as he wanted.   
  
He was going to have to get used to more people being around again.   
  


* * *

  
The cafeteria seemed empty enough, but it was a large open space between M-21 and Takeo. Running at Takeo would make too much noise and aiming straight for him would be suspicious as well. And-  
  
"Oh, Em? Are you hungry as well?"   
  
M-21 pursed his lips, heading for the food dispenser. "Yeah." Takeo seemed to be able to see through the back of his head.  
  


* * *

  
M-21 squinted, seeing Takeo by the lava pit, checking the temperature. Right on the edge. One quick push and a body wouldn't be found. He wouldn't even need to transform for it.   
  
M-21's communicator crackled. [Were you just about to do this?]  
  
He scowled, swallowing his growl. [This is normally when it breaks, yeah.]  
  
How? _How_ did Takeo keep seeing him?  
  
Fuck, Takeo was like Muzaka, always seeing him, no matter what he did.   
  
Fine. He'd find someone else to hunt. Urgh.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M-21's help is requested; he doesn't like it.

M-21 scowled, feeling Frankenstein approach as he did the wiring in the office. Again. Because the piece of shit kept disconnecting from each other. _Again_.  
  
Couldn't they just fucking tape it together? Wouldn't that make it work longer, or would they just _burn_ through the tape to spite him? Pieces of shit.   
  
Muzaka's annotations had faded a while ago but M-21 had memorised where each cable went. Because it kept fucking _breaking_.   
  
"I was hoping to speak with you."  
  
M-21 paused, and then glanced over his shoulder. It was...Red? standing behind him, not Frankenstein.   
  
But he felt like Frankenstein.   
  
Then...another imposter? M-21 had felt the same itch at the back of his neck strengthen when the new group arrived, but hadn't cared to investigate. Frankenstein probably had, because he was like that.   
  
"What do you want?" M-21 said, connecting the last of the wires, the light turning on. _Finally_.   
  
"I think it would be obvious?"   
  
M-21's scowl deepened. Great. Another Frankenstein, trying to talk around an issue rather than just saying exactly what he was thinking. "No, it's not. What do you want?"   
  
Red blinked and then glanced around, making sure they were alone before stepping closer. Shit, his back was to the wall and he wasn't supposed to bare his teeth.   
  
At crewmates. Red wasn't a crewmate. Maybe he could-? There were three exits here, and all of them was a decompression room - he would be able to shift back way before the person was able to come through.   
  
"If we move together, we'll be able to corner a crewmate far easier than if we were alone," Red murmured.   
  
M-21 stared at him. Oh. Red wanted to help him to kill. That was...  
  
M-21 didn't like it.   
  
He nodded anyway, because that was his mission. He was supposed to kill as many crewmates until he was told to stop. And _Frankenstein_ wasn't going to be helping with that anymore.   
  
But.   
  
M-21 watched Red smile at him, and then turn to one of the vents in the corridor.   
  
M-21 didn't like it.   
  
Didn't like Red, with his tiny little beard, the way he spoke, or that scar over his eye.   
  
Red shifted into the vent, and M-21 went after him, claws ready and eager to rend.   
  
This was _his_ hunting ground.   
  
_He_ would do all the hunting. _That_ was his mission.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein paused from the data they were studying. They had felt imposters at the edge of their awareness, stronger now that two more had joined their number but now...   
  
The strength of what Frankenstein sensed had dropped.   
  
They hadn't been able to track down the other imposters yet, not when everyone was grouped together as they were.   
  
But if one of imposters had just died...   
  
It couldn't be one of the crewmates who had done it. ...Could it?   
  
And who was it? The ability to sense other imposters was only to make sure that they wouldn't kill each other when they were on an enemy ship, not to identify who exactly it was they were sensing.   
  
...Was it Em who'd been killed?   
  
Should they leave to check? But to deviate from their usual schedule would be suspicious. Not that the new crewmates would know, but to stumble across the body...  
  
They would just have to wait until the body was found.   
  
Frankenstein found they couldn't concentrate on their samples anymore, their mind drifting back, wondering who had killed the other.  
  
Not knowing who had done it.   
  
Would they have to be wary with other imposters, in case they turned on them as well?   
  
...Hm.   
  
Was this what it felt like to be a crewmate...?  
  


* * *

  
M-21 narrowed his eyes at the vent when he climbed out again, shifting back into his humanoid body. Killing another imposter was a little different than killing crewmates: there was more twisting around, trying to find purchase in the other's flesh.   
  
Still doable.   
  
He would need to clean himself off before anyone saw him though.   
  
M-21 dashed away.   
  


* * *

  
Kentas removed his helmet once he was out of the decompression room, shaking head, feeling his hair spring back into place. He'd seen Muzaka's hair, who must have the opposite problem as him: Muzaka had to put his hair down the back of his spacesuit to fit it all in.   
  
He inhaled the - Kentas froze, recognising the scent of blood. Dammit, already? Where?   
  
He dashed through, searching the rooms, sliding through the gap before the doors had fully slid open.   
  
Nothing.   
  
Nothing in the meeting room. Or the office.   
  
The smell faded by the time he reached admin, so it was somewhere in the office area.   
  
He hadn't seen anything though. Nothing obvious. No blood splatters. No body.   
  
Just the smell.   
  
Okay. Where was it the strongest?   
  
Kentas followed his nose and found himself facing a corner next to the meeting room. All right...   
  
Something invisible? Hidden? He swung his foot around, but all it hit was the wall.   
  
That didn't make any sense. He was _sure_ he could smell-   
  
Kentas saw a few dark red smudges along the edge of the vent.   
  
Oh.   
  
He'd found it.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein found themself sorting their medbay than trying to continue studying their samples. Even when Red had been found, their mind still wouldn't settle. No-one had been spaced, because no-one had seen anyone kill Red, nor shoving his body into a vent.   
  
No-one had suspected Red of being an imposter either.   
  
So when an imposter died, they stayed in their human form, huh...? Or changed back? Because Frankenstein doubted Red hadn't fought back when he'd died.   
  
More hints that their true form really was human, and not the one they used to kill crewmates with.   
  
They sighed, shaking their head. Maybe they should go for a walk. Even cleaning up wasn't distracting them. Though walking could mean they dwelled even more on their thoughts...   
  
They put a smile on their face when they heard the medbay doors open, though they paused when they saw Em's scowling face.   
  
"Are you feeling all right?" Frankenstein asked, looking him over. His suit was in tact with no blood that they could see, and when Em walked closer, Frankenstein didn't notice any stiffness to his movement either.   
  
"I'm fine," Em said, rolling his eyes as he leaned back against one of the beds, crossing his arms.   
  
"Ah, that's good to hear," Frankenstein said, still puzzling over Em's presence there. They'd thought Em wouldn't want anything to do with them again, since they'd made it clear they'd defected from their mission. "Are...you worried about the other imposter?" Was that why Em had come to talk to them?  
  
Em snorted. "Why should I be? I killed Red."   
  
Frankenstein paused. Had they heard-? Yes, Em had been very clear. "Why?" ...Considering their first meeting, maybe they shouldn't be so surprised. But Em had to know what other imposters felt like now, and it would have been obvious when Red also transformed to protect himself.   
  
Em growled, his crossed arms tightening. "He wanted us to go kill together."  
  
Frankenstein kept control of their expression so surprise wouldn't show through, even though Em was glaring at the wall to his right. "And you didn't want to?" they said, their voice as mild as they could make it.   
  
"I'll finish my mission myself," Em said past gritted teeth.   
  
...Hm. It seemed like Em's priorities and objective was shifting, even if he wasn't aware of it. Good. They could try to encourage that.   
  
"Of course," Frankenstein said. "But next time, could you not leave the body in the vent?" It was good to hide the body to make it harder to find to build an alibi, but the stench of death also lingered for a while. And cleaning the blood and gore from there was tricky.   
  
Em glared at them, but Frankenstein was used to it, and Em didn't say no as he left the medbay. That was as far as agreement Em usually gave.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein heard the hiss of the vent but when there was no accompanying footsteps, they looked up from the notes they were taking.   
  
Hm. Em's presence was fading. Had he forgotten something and turned back?  
  
They went to the vent just in case and - ah.   
  
Green's mangled body was leaving a pool of blood next to the vent.   
  
They sighed, staring at the body. They'd been so distracted with work, they hadn't noticed Green's presence snuff out.   
  
Well. That meant there were no other imposters on the base again, aside from them and Em. That made things simpler.   
  
Now, should they move the body somewhere or deal with it? They couldn't leave it where it was, because they would be the first suspect.   
  
Though the handy thing about where the medbay was located was how close it was to the lava pit...


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muzaka goes to O2 and finds it occupied.

Muzaka exhaled as he left the boiler room, the towel cool against his skin. Hmmn, she seemed to be lasting a bit longer after the tweaks he'd done, so that was good. But it was going to eventually happen again... His fixes wouldn't last for that long either. The place really was falling apart, no matter what they did.

He walked into O2 and took a few steps in before he slowed. He took in a deep breath but didn't smell blood, or see any. So why did it feel like there was something different about the room?

He peered around. Everything was where it should be. The big tree, his bucket of water packets, the...

Muzaka tilted his head up towards the branches. Oh.

"Yo," Muzaka said, waving a hand at the person sitting up on the branches, leaning back against the trunk. "You good up there? Kentas, right?" His suit was close to the same colour as his hair. Which seemed to have its own gravity field. Or lack of one, with how it seemed to stick straight upwards.

Kentas dipped his head at him in greeting. "Yeah. Muzaka?"

"Yep." He settled down at the base of the tree, the bark cool against his skin as he reached for a water pack. "You like high places?"

"Hn. It gives a good vantage point." He paused. "And it smells nice here."

Muzaka chuckled, opening a pack. "Aside from the cafeteria, it's the best smelling place out of the entire base."

Kentas smiled. "I'm sure." The smile slid off his face as he turned his head upwards again. "Are the leaves normally like this?"

"Like what?" The tree looked about the same as it normally did.

"They're starting to yellow," Kentas said, and Muzaka chilled, knowing what Kentas was going to say next. "The trees we use for oxygen are evergreen."

Muzaka studied the leaves now that he knew what to look for, and he could see the shift from green to a more sickly yellow as the leaves reached the edge of the branches.

How hadn't he noticed it before? Was it because he saw it so often, he didn't see the slow change?

"No, they were all green when we first arrived," Muzaka said faintly. Were they running out of oxygen...? If the tree died, they would have to rely on other means of converting more oxygen.

Kentas nodded, jumping out from the tree and landed next to Muzaka. "I think I know what I can do to help," Kentas said.

Muzaka grinned, relaxing. "That's good to hear. If you need help, let me know."

And hm, oxygen generation was something they would have to consider for the dropship as well...

Maybe he could talk to Kentas about that later.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao starts working on upgrading the security system.

Tao narrowed his eyes at the security room's monitors. They were old and bulky, not giving much information with a restricted view. As if that really mattered when only _one_ monitor even worked. There was no grid view so Tao had to _manually_ switch between camera views.   
  
And the cameras didn't even move! There was no additional information to say _where_ the cameras were either aside from a bunch of cardinal directions. On view for each one was just. A whole bunch of purple dirt. Nice.   
  
Seriously, there were _no_ interior cameras?   
  
Tao sighed, pushing himself away from the monitors. Well, the only way he was going to find out was by searching for them himself.   
  
At least he knew all of them were outside. It was a start.   
  


* * *

  
Tao looked around. All right... That was the communications dish he saw in one view, so the camera was staring right at it.   
  
But there was no...  
  
He tilted his head up, seeing the half sphere attached to the wall. He grinned.  
  
Gotcha.   
  
All right, now that he knew what the cameras looked like here, the others should be easier to find.   
  


* * *

  
So many blind spots. _So many_. Barely anything in the base was covered.   
  
Tao had a list of things he had to do that was longer than he was tall, starting with changing the software so he could _see_ everything at once, rather than clicking through for each view. That was going to drive up him the wall the most.   
  
Time to get started.   
  


* * *

  
M-21 paused as he left the office, frowning. Something was different. What was it?   
  
There was a light cast over the ground, and he looked up, trying to find the source.   
  
There was a shining ball stuck to the wall next to the door.   
  
M-21 didn't like it.   
  
It had never turned on before in the whole time he'd been here, so it wasn't something that was important.   
  
It didn't look like it was attached to a panel that needed fixing, so no-one was going to notice it was gone.  
  


* * *

  
"There!" Tao pressed the enter key with a satisfying click (Okay, not really. The keyboard was terrible and stiff, but at least the keys were _working_ ) and Tao switched windows so he could finally see-  
  
"Eh?"   
  
Yes, he'd finally gotten the grid view he wanted (Seriously, who _used_ this programming language anymore? People who were long dead, that's who. Along with the language.), but now one of them showed static?   
  
Was that why the camera views had been on rotation? Because one of the views just _broke_ when it was shown on a grid?  
  
Tao groaned, covering his face.   
  
He loved working with technology, but the trouble-shooting _sucked_.   
  


* * *

  
Tao frowned, tapping his index finger on the keys. Huh...   
  
He'd switched it back to single view, and the south camera still wasn't working.   
  
Tao sighed, standing up. Had one of the cameras _really_ just broken while he was working on it?  
  
This place really was falling apart.   
  
Maybe it'd be better if he remade everything by hand and connected them up.   
  
At least then he'd know what everything _did_.   
  


* * *

  
Tao stared up at the camera.   
  
What was left of it, anyway.   
  
There was a little discoloured circle where the camera had been, exposed wires sticking out of the wall.   
  
"Well... That explains it," Tao said softly. His camera...   
  
But why now? All the cameras (what few there was) had been in tact when he'd arrived.   
  
Though, Tao could understand why the others wouldn't like cameras, since they were always being watched in the Union.   
  
But...it was nice being on the other side. To have some control, to see more of the world around him.   
  
Tao sighed. Right. Making more cameras was added to his to-do list, and designed in a way so they weren't _so obvious_ at a glance.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kentas watched Em.

Kentas watched Em. First it had been to get to know his crewmates, matching faces with names (if they gave them), and then it was just to see where people were.   
  
Em was...twitchy. Always looking at who was in the room with him, and skittish when people approached him. Kentas had seen people act like that in his previous ship, when people were unsure who the imposter was, and the longer they spent out of contact with others, the worse they became. With only three other crewmates, it would have been easy for Em to keep away from everyone.   
  
Had Frankenstein not noticed, or was he too busy with his own work?   
  
Hng. Well then. Maybe he could do something to help Em in the meantime.   
  


* * *

  
Kentas had been watching M-21 for a while; he could _feel_ it every single time. It meant M-21 always knew when Kentas entered and...  
  
M-21 wasn't sure.   
  
Was he acting suspiciously? Was that why Kentas kept watching him? Shit.   
  
Urgh, was Kentas going to be someone else hard to k-  
  
M-21 narrowed his eyes when Kentas ambled over, a grin on his face.   
  
"Hey, Em?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
Close. Kentas was getting closer with each step and M-21 had his back to the wall because the fucking wires had disconnected _again_ and-  
  
All thoughts shorted out, because Kentas was _there_ in his space, arms wrapped around M-21's shoulders.   
  
Trapped. He was trapped like this.   
  
He could transform and kill Kentas with him so willingly close, but Orange still in the room and would see it.   
  
What did Kentas _want_? Why was he doing this? It couldn't be to kill him, so why-?  
  
"Just thought you might need some contact," Kentas said, stepping back.   
  
"Okay?" M-21 didn't run away. He _didn't_. He just. Had other tasks to do. In a different room. Away from Kentas.   
  
What the fuck just happened?  
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein was sure they could hear Em's growl before he came into the medbay.   
  
"A kill didn't go well, I take it?" they asked mildly. It was clear something had gone wrong for Em anyway; if it wasn't a kill, he was annoyed at maintaining the base.   
  
"I don't - It wasn't-!" Em threw his hands up in the air as he paced.   
  
...Huh. Frankenstein set down their pad, giving Em their full attention. They'd never seen Em this agitated before, even when they'd suggested not killing anyone anymore. "What happened?"   
  
Em's growl rocketed up in pitch. "I don't know! He just came close and-"   
  
"Ah, 'he'?" It seemed like they were going to have to piece it all together. And 'came close'?   
  
"Kentas! And he wrapped his arms around me! The fuck is _that_?"  
  
"...Oh." Frankenstein hid their smile. How interesting. "He did this unprompted?" They doubted Em did anything to invite that.   
  
"Yes! I was just doing the fucking wires and then he did that! And said he thought I needed some 'contact', whatever the fuck that is."   
  
Ah, so that was it. Frankenstein was quiet as they mulled over the new information. "I suppose this was the first time someone's done that to you?"   
  
Em stared at them, the scowl momentarily gone from his face. "Did the scientists do _that_ with you?"  
  
Frankenstein chuckled at that, shaking their head. "They had a very hands off approach to rearing and communication."   
  
"Yeah." Em nodded. "When they touched you, you knew you'd fucked up and you'd get punished."   
  
Yes, there was that... "And by the sounds of it, Kentas didn't have that intention."  
  
"All he did was put his arms around me. The fuck is that supposed to do?"   
  
"Some people find that comforting."   
  
Whatever Em was going to say, froze as jumble of emotions crossed his face, before settling into a grimace.   
  
It was clear what Em was thinking of, making Frankenstein chuckle again. "I don't think it would arouse suspicion if you didn't, hm, return or accept the hugs, seeing how not many crewmates touch each other." From what Frankenstein had seen of them so far - Tao and Takeo could be the exception to that. As well as them and Muzaka, of course. They smiled at Em. "Though apparently no-one bats an eye when-"  
  
" _Gah_!" Em span around, heading for the door.   
  
Frankenstein waited until the doors closed behind him before laughing as they turned back to their work. Hmm, making Em flustered was far more enjoyable than making Em lose his temper.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em has suspicion cast against him. He has a surprising defender.

"Now, I don't think I saw Em in a while," Yuri said as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "though I'm sure I saw he was heading for storage the last time I did."   
  
Tao raised his hand. "It can't have been Em."  
  
Yuri's eyebrows rose, but he smiled at Tao. "Oh? And why not? Did you see Em recently?"  
  
He nodded. "Yep. He was in admin-" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the room. "-trying to get the reader ta recognise his card."   
  
It was a little sad, seeing Em trying to do it over and over again, the card reader refusing to read his card as he overcorrected each time. Tao would have thought Em had been given a faulty card, or he had an imposter ID card or something, but Tao had seen how much trouble others had had with similar tasks.   
  
"Stupid fucking machine," Em hissed under his breath, glaring at the table. He paused, then frowned, looking up at Tao. "You weren't there."   
  
Tao laughed softly at that, waving a hand in the air. "I was in security; I saw you from there."   
  
But clearly he was going to have to expand his network even more. It was still bare bones and had a _lot_ of blind spots he needed to cover if he hadn't seen who killed Turquoise.   
  


* * *

  
Tao blew air out threw his teeth after he'd thrown himself onto bed. "That was _weird_."  
  
"Mm?" Takeo said, sitting down next to him.   
  
"I defended Em!" It was only after everyone had cast their vote that Tao realised what he'd done without thinking. Em hadn't been spaced and Tao guessed it must have been because of him chiming in. And of _course_ Muzaka wasn't voting against anyone, because he knew who the imposters were, but usually imposters tried to throw suspicion onto someone else than not vote.   
  
"You _did_ see Em on the cameras," Takeo said, brushing his hair out.   
  
Tao nodded. "Yeah, but... I _know_ Em's an imposter." It would be best if they spaced him as fast as possible to make sure he didn't kill again. ...Or whatever they did to kill someone here, since no-one had been voted against yet. Did they launch them into space? Something else? "I just wanna do this _right_ , ya know?" He had his suspicions and he was pretty sure he was right, but he wanted absolute proof first.   
  
Takeo smiled at him. "That's what we're being tested here for, yes."   
  
Tao snickered, grabbing a pillow and threw it at Takeo's head.   
  
Yeah, that was true. When they got out of the test, they were meant to do this for real, and jumping at shadows and throwing accusations around would just get their crewmates killed one way or another.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kentas continues to hug M-21.

"Hey, Em."   
  
M-21 hadn't needed the warning, knowing Kentas was there as soon he saw his shadow cast on the floor. It was the most distinctive shadow of all the crewmates, even when Kentas had his helmet on.   
  
He turned around with a grunt, Kentas hugging him.   
  
He still wasn't sure _why_ Kentas kept doing this but... Kentas wasn't trying to hurt him while doing this either.   
  
For some reason.   
  
M-21 wasn't used to it.   
  
Used to...touch. Not like this. Not with someone in his space. Being in his space meant close to kill, close to be hurt.   
  
Kentas never did.   
  
And neither did M-21.   
  
"See you later, Em," Kentas said, clapping him on the shoulder as he left.   
  
Em exhaled, turning back to his task.   
  
He was just about to start again, when he paused and looked around.   
  
He was alone.   
  
There had been no-one else in the room with them.   
  
M-21 stared, racking his brain, trying to remember if anyone else had been in the room with them.   
  
No. The room had been empty when he'd entered and he hadn't heard the hiss of the door while he was being hugged by Kentas.   
  
"The _fuck_?" He'd been alone with Kentas, and he'd never thought to kill him?  
  
The fuck was wrong with him?  
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein hummed as they made a few more samples to study in the specimen room, slipping the slide under the microscope. They turned their head towards the west decontamination room, frowning. Was it late already? They didn't think so, but...they'd thought that before.   
  
They checked the clock on the wall and yes, it wasn't time for lunch yet, let alone dinner or later.   
  
Em emerged from the decontamination room, scowling as was his habit. He eyed Frankenstein, his lips pursed and arms crossed.   
  
Hm. Em didn't say anything immediately though, just studying Frankenstein. That was new.   
  
"Is there something wrong?" Frankenstein asked, preparing their other slides.   
  
Em growled softly, but it wasn't one of anger. Confusion? It was a higher tone than usual.   
  
"You don't want to kill Muzaka," Em said, and Frankenstein paused, their hand hovering in the air.   
  
"Yes, that's correct," Frankenstein admitted softly, working on their slides again. They'd realised a while ago, and had come to terms with it. It would have been obvious, considering the amount of time they spent alone with Muzaka, but why was Em bringing it up now?   
  
Em didn't say anything for a few seconds. "I...don't want to kill Kentas...?"   
  
Oh. Now wasn't that interesting? Was it because of the hugs? "I see," Frankenstein said.   
  
"But my mission-!" Em said, before cutting himself off with a growl.   
  
"Could still be attained," Frankenstein said. "There are others you can kill but..."   
  
Em glared at them, baring his teeth. He could already tell where they were trying to steer the conversation. Good. He was learning.   
  
"If we were to repair the dropship and leave the base, then you wouldn't need to kill Kentas, if it came down to it," Frankenstein said. With Muzaka's initial inspection, the dropship seemed in better shape than the base, all told.   
  
The biggest problem was fuel. The dropship had enough to arrive at the base, and no more. It certainly wouldn't have enough to break atmosphere, and that wasn't something they could just print like their tools.   
  
"They've got trackers on us!" Em burst out, shaking his head. "They'd find us instantly and kill us."  
  
"They could," Frankenstein said, gesturing Em to follow as they headed for the medbay.   
  
It didn't take long to reach the medbay, and Frankenstein brought up Em's scans for him to see. They pointed at the small white oval located next to Em's heart.   
  
"They are all easy to find with a simple scan," they said. "I can remove them, but that would alert the Union so I would need to do it when we're just about to leave." If there was someone amongst the crewmates who was more interested in software programming, that could make it easier. Tao seemed the most likely candidate at the moment, but Frankenstein hadn't talked with him enough yet to know if he would be willing to attempt to flee the Union.  
  
Em studied his scan.   
  
"All this is risky, of course," Frankenstein said. "But in some ways, it's not much different than being in the Union."  
  
Em snapped his attention back to them. " _How_? If we just do as we're told, then they're happy and don't punish or kill us."  
  
"And how many times have they made a promise, and then broken it?" Frankenstein had been surprised when the second group had been called in, but after some reflection, it was a recurring cycle. Just one they hadn't seen before. Promises to let them see a new specimen before brushing them off because of a meeting. If they did well in killing the experiment without hesitation, they could be tested for being put onto enemy organisation ships. Except suddenly there were no spaces left in the next dropship.   
  
They'd thought their wishes weren't fulfilled because they hadn't done well enough. If they just did well enough, shown their worth, then the scientists would be more interested in them and wouldn't brush them off anymore.   
  
And yet, it happened again here.   
  
Em stilled, pursing his lips.   
  
"Everything was said just to motivate us to do what they wanted," Frankenstein said with a sigh. "We did as we were told here, and then our stay was extended. What's to say the scientists won't decide that they don't like the way we kill and we're punished for it?"   
  
There had been a few times where Frankenstein had killed without transforming. The scientists hadn't liked that, wanting to see their transformation. Except the scientists hadn't mentioned that in the first place.   
  
If the scientists did that here too, well, there wasn't much they could do or plan for that.   
  
Em opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.   
  
"We stay here, do as we're told and still found fault and punished, or we can try to escape, where they may find us again and punish or kill us." They paused, making sure Em was listening. He was. "At least with the second option, there is a chance they won't find us again." So long as everything went smoothly.   
  
Em tried to say something a couple of times before he shook his head, leaving the medbay.   
  
That...went _far_ better than Frankenstein had expected to. No growls, shouting or stomping.   
  
Then, Em was thinking about it. Or had possibly already agreed.   
  
Frankenstein exhaled, relaxing. Good. That was good.   
  


* * *

  
M-21 looked up, seeing Kentas' familiar silhouette in the admin's doors.   
  
"Hey, Em."   
  
"Hey."   
  
He scowled at the fucking card reader and sighed as Kentas came closer, drawing him into a hug.   
  
Kentas' scent was becoming familiar to him now and slowly, M-21 curled his arms around Kentas' waist.   
  
He felt Kentas stiffen for a second (Had he done something wr-) and then relax.   
  
Kentas chuckled, tightening the hug.   
  
M-21 closed his eyes, leaning against him. It was...nice. He still didn't understand it, but...it was nice.   
  
He didn't want to kill Kentas. He didn't.   
  
That meant he was a failure. He should be killed because he didn't do what he was created for.   
  
He didn't want to die, but Frankenstein was right. Even if he did everything perfectly, the scientists' moods were fickle and ever-changing. They might punish him for something else.   
  
Then...   
  
Would he have to try and escape the Union with Frankenstein...?


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao has a visitor.

Tao hummed a tune -one he was sure he'd heard from one of the scientists, because otherwise he had _no_ idea how it got stuck in his head- as he worked at Security. It was _starting_ to come together, but he'd only chipped away at his list. It was still better than before though.   
  
He heard someone coming up behind him and looked up. "Hey, Yuri," he said, waving a hand over his chair. He'd had to steal it from the cafeteria, and sure, the Union didn't want them to _waste time_ or get lazy, but come on. Some of these tasks took _hours_. He wasn't going to stand watching monitors for the entire day. Nope. No way. It wasn't as if the Union were watching them anyway. Only him, and if he could print off more chairs he _would_.  
  
"Oh? How did you know it was me?"  
  
Tao turned around to grin at him. Yuri had his usual smile, but it did have that slight tension he had when he was annoyed. Whoops. Was it because he'd called Yuri by name? But Yuri had given it when everyone was introducing each other. "I set up a camera at the door so I can see the back of my head!" It wasn't quite the the way that Takeo seemed to just be able to _do_ but it was close enough.   
  
"Oh my, you _have_ been busy, haven't you?"   
  
Tao let out a cracked laugh. "I need ta be to try and sort everything out." He'd basically had to overhaul everything from _scratch_. "I might have everything in working order by the time we get outta here." Now that they knew what they were doing, winning this round should be even faster. He shook his head. Most of the usual problems were similar to the ship they were on, from Tao had heard. "What's up?"   
  
"Just checking how things were going here," Yuri said, "since you're able to see everything."  
  
"Not yet," Tao said with a sigh. "But I should be able to soon." Maybe. The printing materials seemed to be pretty low here too.   
  
"I was wondering-"   
  
The door hissed open and Tao waved at Takeo with a grin. "Lunch?"  
  
Takeo nodded and Tao hopped out of his chair with a sigh, stretching for all he was worth, hearing his joints crack. "You wanna take over for a bit?" Tao asked Yuri. That was what he was about to ask, wasn't it?   
  
Yuri smiled, looking over all the monitors. "Yes, I will. We wouldn't want a murder to go unwitnessed, would we?"  
  
"Heh. I'll be back soon," Tao said with a wave, leaving with Takeo. It was nice to have someone else watching the cameras while he was away.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muzaka hears about Kentas hugging M-21.

"Yo, Em!"   
  
M-21 nodded to Muzaka as he entered the boiler room, heading for his usual napping spot.   
  
He blinked when Muzaka walked over - Muzaka didn't usually do that, letting him...   
  
M-21 sighed, seeing Muzaka's open arms. Him too?   
  
Muzaka hugged him, M-21 returning it. He still didn't understand it, from him or Kentas but...   
  
He closed his eyes, leaning into Muzaka, hearing him chuckle.   
  
There was a feeling here, something that made him want to relax.   
  
It was...weird. Something he wasn't used to and M-21 pulled away before that feeling grew anymore.   
  
Muzaka let him go, but before M-21 got away, ruffled his hair. "If you want more, just ask, heh."  
  
Why would he want more? Before that weird feeling made him do anything, M-21 retreated into his corner.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein smiled at Em when he entered the medbay.   
  
It was enough to make Em pause, studying them suspiciously. "What?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," Frankenstein said, continuing to make notes as they watched Em over the top of their pad. "Muzaka mentioned he was helping Kentas acclimatise you to physical touch again." It was...amusing to hear. But if the pair thought the way Em acted was due touch starvation, then they weren't going to correct them.   
  
Em hissed, bristling. "It's confusing!" He glowered at Frankenstein, looking them up and down. "Are _you_ going to hug me?"   
  
Frankenstein chuckled at that, shaking their head. "No. But it does feel nice."   
  
Em glared at them before letting out a slow breath, closing his eyes. "Yeah."   
  
Their smile widened. Mmm, Muzaka's hugs were very nice.   
  
"I'm not gonna fuck Kentas though. Or Muzaka."   
  
"It's-" Frankenstein winced. "It's not fucking..." They were never going to get Em to understand the difference, were they...?


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao needs a tool and goes looking.

Tao squinted at the panels before sighing. The adjustment he wanted wasn't needed, but everything would just be easier if he could add it. And for that, he needed the proper tools.   
  
He'd looked in the database, but it hadn't been updated in _forever_ , urgh. There was a chance someone had brought what he needed to the base though.   
  
_Very_ slim chance, but there was one.   
  
Tao swept one last look over the monitors (Muzaka hadn't left the boiler room and Em was leaning against the wall in the office as he waited for a data transfer to finish) and left for storage.   
  


* * *

  
Tao sighed, looking around.   
  
Nothing.   
  
He was pretty sure he'd looked in every single box and every possible hidey hole there was and nada.   
  
The room was reasonably well-ordered at least and Tao had sorted out the rest of the boxes while trying to find what he needed.   
  
"Okaaay..." he murmured. Now what?   
  
He ran his fingertips along the shelves as he thought.   
  
He could live without it but...  
  
Tao paused, seeing where his hand had stopped. It was an empty box, which wasn't that strange. He'd dived right into it when he'd seen it, because it was labelled with screwdrivers. There were a couple in there, but none were the one he needed of course, but...  
  
There was a small checklist to the side, and the R-9 screwdriver _was_ on the list. It _had_ existed here at some point.   
  
But now what?   
  
It had existed - that didn't mean it existed _now_.   
  
But maybe someone else was using it...?   
  
Who though? Most of the base didn't need it except for...  
  
The boiler room? That had one of the most hands-on repairing to it.   
  
Tao glanced in the direction of the boiler room.   
  
Uhm.   
  
Go talk alone to an imposter, in the room he was most familiar with?  
  
Nah. Not happening.   
  
But he wanted to make Security run as smoothly as possible.   
  
...So long as he talked with Muzaka somewhere public, it should be okay...?  
  


* * *

  
"Morning!" Tao said the next day, seeing Muzaka sitting with Frankenstein already. _Perfect_. Someone else to hear their conversation too.   
  
"Mornin', Tao," Muzaka said, waving a fork. "Still workin' at Security?"  
  
Tao let out a hollow laugh as he sat down. "I'm getting there!"   
  
"Ah, yes, I don't think many of us used that room much," Frankenstein said.   
  
"Too busy trying to fix everything else up than look at what everyone else was doing," Muzaka added with a sigh.   
  
Tao could understand that. To an extent. The base was falling apart, it was easy to see, but to not keep a look out on everyone... It was still so weird for him.   
  
"I'm here now, so I can fix it up, heh," Tao said, starting to eat. "But would you have an R-9 screwdriver? I tried looking in storage and didn't find anything."   
  
Muzaka frowned and then nodded slowly. "I think I've got that. If you come to the-"  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't want to distract you!" Tao said, waving his hands, almost dropping his knife. Nope. No way was he was going to get lured into Muzaka's lair. "Just lemme know if you find it!" And...he'll work something out after that.   
  
Muzaka nodded. "Sure."  
  


* * *

  
Tao glanced over when the security door opened behind him. He froze, seeing Em walk in. Shit. Shitshit, what could he do now?  
  
"Heeey, Em!" Tao said, whipping around to look at him, hopping to his feet. Would he be able to dash around him in - He blinked at the box Em was setting on his workbench.   
  
Without a word, Em turned on his heel and left the room.   
  
_Huh_? What had just happened?   
  
Was the box safe? Tao tried to peer at it, but it was just...a carrier case.   
  
Was it going to explode in his face if he opened it?  
  
That wasn't the MO of imposters though and Em honestly didn't seem that sneaky.   
  
So it shooould be safe?   
  
Tao edged towards the case anyway, and poked it with a wrench. No rattle. No beeping.   
  
He flipped the locks and ducked.   
  
Nothing.   
  
Taking a few deep breaths, Tao lifted the lid.   
  
And stared at the rows of screwdriver heads, a handle underlining them. One of the heads was labelled 'R-9'.   
  
Oh.   
  
_Oh!_   
  
He laughed, the adrenaline coursing through him making him tremble as he leaned back against the table.   
  
Well. Okay. That worked.   
  
Once his _everything_ had calmed down, he could get back to work.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri visits Frankenstein in the medbay.

Frankenstein hummed as they cleaned their counters, making sure the remnants of their previous tests were gone. There. Now that was done-  
  
They turned their head towards the laboratory doors opening. "Yuri? Is there something wrong?" Most people didn't come to visit them, let alone in the lab. They either messaged them in the medbay or waited until they returned.   
  
Yuri shook his head, smiling. "I haven't spent much time in this side of the building, and I wanted to familiarise myself with it." He looked around. "I heard from Mary that you oversee three different sectors here."  
  
Frankenstein shrugged. "Before your arrival, we were stretched thin enough that either way I would need to cover multiple areas, and understandably, not everyone is comfortable here." It worked out for them, because while one test was compiling, they could start on another project in a different area.   
  
"But _you_ are."   
  
Frankenstein smiled at that. "The joy of research and new discoveries are far stronger than the bad associations I have with laboratories." They could understand the scientists a little more now, but they could also see the unnecessary way the scientists had treated those under their 'care'.   
  
"Well, there are more of us now, so wouldn't it be better to share duties?" Yuri said.   
  
Frankenstein blinked at that, turning over Yuri's words in their head, making sure they heard it correctly. "You're offering to help?"   
  
"Of course," Yuri said, dipping his head. "It hardly seems fair with the workload you must have, does it?"  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't say it's _unfair_." They preferred it, usually. The work kept them busy and they liked the satisfaction of helping the others. But, with new crewmates meant an increased chance of bringing in new illnesses and spreading it to the others...   
  
"I wouldn't turn you away, however," Frankenstein said. "Now then, let's give you a proper tour."   
  
Yes, it would always be good to have someone else around to keep an eye on things.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Em needs Tao's help with something.

Tao tilted his head at a grumbling sound in the admin area. He'd come through to check where else he could place his cameras but then he'd heard _that_.   
  
It didn't _sound_ like someone dying and Tao poked his head in.   
  
Em was there, curled up on the floor, wedged between the plant pot and the outcropping for the monitor on the wall, a pad balanced on his knees as he squinted at the screen.   
  
What was he doing...?  
  
There was no-one else in the room, and this was dangerous. Tao knew that. But...  
  
It was a chance to talk shop about tech, and Tao never passed on an opportunity to do that.   
  
Even, apparently, with an imposter.   
  
It wasn't _that_ weird, was it?  
  
Em hadn't tried to kill him in the security room, and that had to mean something, right? Maybe Em was an imposter that didn't want to kill.   
  
Except there had already been a handful of deaths and that had to mean at least _one_ imposter was killing people. If it wasn't Em, then...it was Muzaka. Who had sent Em to him with the screwdriver set.   
  
So...   
  
Now it was just confusing.   
  
Neither of them had tried to kill him. And-  
  
"Hey," Em said, still staring at his pad. Not getting up or looking at _all_ like he was going to sprout tentacles.   
  
"Heeey," Tao said, still hanging around the bookcase, just in case. "What'cha doing there?"   
  
"Pad's broken," Em said, pressing the screen a few times.   
  
"Yeah?" He could do this. Just. Walk over. Nothing wrong with walking up to someone who could rip him in half when his back was turned.   
  
"Yeah." Em flipped the pad around, showing him the screen.   
  
It was dark, sure, but Tao could see the bright red text covering it as well.   
  
And...right. The imposters Tao had seen before had trouble with colours, hadn't they?   
  
"Can I see it?" Tao asked, edging forward. He was getting further and further away from either of the doors, and his heart rate leapt as Em leaned forward, holding the pad out for him.   
  
"Weeell, it looks like you might have hit the dark mode option," Tao babbled, watching Em over the top of it. Still sitting, not trying to get up. One button here, one button there, and that was it. He winced at the bright background, but if Em could see it, then that would have to be it. "There ya go! How's that?"   
  
Em took the pad from him and blinked at the screen, his eyebrows shooting up. Em looked up at him, staring at him.   
  
Uhm... Okaaay. Just turn and leave, right? That's all he had to do now. Just expose his back to an imposter. Yep. Super easy.   
  
In one movement he span around and strode towards the office. If he was fast enough, he might be able to reach one of the decontamination rooms before Em saw which one he went to.   
  
"Thanks."   
  
Tao faltered, almost tripping over his feet. The word was mumbled, almost sounding like it hadn't come from Em.   
  
But it had to be, because there was no-one else there (which was the teeny bit of the problem right now) and even over Tao's thundering heartbeat, he was sure that was what he heard.   
  
"No problemo!" Tao said with a high laugh, flashing him a thumbs up. "If you have any other tech problems, just let me know."   
  
He definitely didn't dash out of there.   
  
And okay. He'd just invited an imposter to go see him when he'd most likely be alone. Yeah, that was good.   
  
But... Em hadn't attacked him. That was twice now. Maybe even a couple more instances Tao wasn't aware of.   
  
That wasn't meant to happen. Tao had read the reports about failed imposters, the ones that had refused to kill. They were reprogrammed if they were lucky, and killed if they weren't. Either way, it ended in their death.   
  
On this base though, that made it a lot harder for the Union to check on them.   
  
That was okay, wasn't it?   
  
If the imposters didn't kill, then the rest of them just had to finish doing up the base until the Union was satisfied. They didn't have to worry about watching their back or keeping an eye on each other.   
  
But then, what would happen to the imposters after that? Wouldn't it just be the same?  
  
Hm.   
  
Tao exhaled as the decontamination doors opened and he stepped outside, not hearing any footsteps following him.   
  
With the rate the base was falling apart, it was going to take a while to be fixed completely.   
  
So it'd be okay if they just waited everything out, right...? Right.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew relax between doing tasks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be three separate parts, but they felt a little too small, so I grouped them together instead.

"Morning, Em."   
  
M-21 looked over from the food dispenser and tried to hide his confusion. Was Kentas going to hug him with a tray in his hands?   
  
"Here."   
  
M-21 looked down at the packet of food Kentas had left on his tray as Kentas walked off to sit at a table.   
  
Why...did Kentas keep doing things he didn't understand...?  
  


* * *

  
The food was fine, and M-21 chewed it slowly, watching the others around the cafeteria.   
  
He could just about understand... No. He couldn't understand hugs or why the others did it. That was weird.   
  
But sharing food?   
  
He could understand that.   
  
Which was why Kentas giving him food confused him so much.   
  
Food was rationed out and only a set amount was given per person. Food was _precious_.   
  
So why was Kentas just giving some of his to M-21? Didn't he need it more?  
  
In the labs, food was shared if someone was recovering, to try and give them more strength. Sometimes because the experiment had been rougher than usual, or because the other had taken the heat from someone else.   
  
M-21 stared at his food, frowning. He hadn't done that with Kentas, had he? There hadn't been anything Kentas needed protected from and M-21 wasn't weaker than usual.   
  
Then...   
  
M-21 didn't know. Crewmates were hard to predict. Understand.   
  
He continued trying to think about it as he ate.   
  
Food was sometimes used as...'thanks'. The word he'd finally understood because Muzaka kept using it around him. Towards him.   
  
Kentas was thanking him? For what?  
  
Not killing him?  
  
...Wait, was that it? Did Kentas _know_?   
  
He peeked at Kentas, who was eating at a table by himself. If Kentas knew, he would have told the others. That was what crewmates were supposed to do.   
  
Just like how imposters were meant to kill crewmates.   
  
Hm.   
  
M-21 fiddled with his food before he continued eating.   
  
Neither side were very good at their mission, were they...?  
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein jerked when the klaxon rang out. It had been so long since they'd last heard it, they'd forgotten what it sounded like, nor were they used to the jolt of adrenaline coursing through their system because of it.   
  
**[Warning: Seismic stabilisers malfunctioning]**  
  
They frowned. The last time that had happened... They glanced across the lab at Em, who was just setting down his pad next to himself.   
  
"What?" Em said, looking at him.  
  
Em didn't seem in a hurry to take advantage of the distraction.   
  
Frankenstein made sure nothing they were working on would be affected by them being away before stepping back. "I'm a little confused why you did that," they said as they left the laboratory. It would appear strange to the others if neither of them showed up to help deal with the situation.   
  
Em shrugged, sliding his helmet on. [Muzaka seemed restless.]   
  
Oh. That was the entire reason? To give Muzaka something else to do? They smiled. [Thank you.]  
  
They got a grumble as a reply, making them smile even more.   
  


* * *

  
Kentas grinned when Em fell in step with him after they dealt with the stabilisers as Kentas headed to O2. "Does that happen often?" He hadn't even known where to go, and just followed Muzaka outside.   
  
Em shook his head. "It's only happened a few times before."  
  
Hnng. That should be fine then. If the entire area was destabilising... That wasn't a good sign.   
  
"Where are you going now? The boiler room?" Kentas asked. He'd seen Em pass by often to visit Muzaka.   
  
"No..."   
  
"Huh, all right." Em must be going somewhere else then.   
  
The O2 doors didn't close when Kentas expected them to, and when he turned around, he saw Em there. "Em?"  
  
Em was looking at everything in the room before his gaze slowly went to Kentas again. "You gave me food..." he said.   
  
"Yeah? You looked like you needed it." Em wasn't gaunt by any stretch, but he still seemed a little thin to Kentas.   
  
Em sighed, crossing his arms as he looked away again, studying the cuttings Kentas had planted a while back. "So I'll help you with your tasks."   
  
Oh, was that it? Kentas closed the distance around them, Em returning his hug with no hesitation now. Kentas held him for a few seconds before letting go. "Have you ever looked after plants before?"  
  
Em's blank look was all the answer Kentas needed before Em shook his head.   
  
"I'll show you then."   
  
Maybe the sunlight and greenery would help Em as well - Kentas had never seen him in O2 either.   
  


* * *

  
There was some kind of commotion happening outside medbay. Well, 'commotion' was the wrong word, but it was a _gathering_ at least.   
  
Tao couldn't see what about though, just that there was a bunch of people grouped together in a loose arc. Kentas and Muzaka were at the centre of it.   
  
No dead body. That was a plus.   
  
[Can you take two steps to the left?] Muzaka's voice came through the comms.   
  
[Sure?] Tao did as he was asked, Takeo doing the same. As soon as they did, Tao's comms crackled again.   
  
[Three...] What was Mary counting down for? [Two... One... Go!]  
  
Tao took a further step away as Muzaka and Kentas charged towards them.   
  
Muzaka made it to the wall behind Tao first. There was no sound of his hand slapping the wall, but there was still a big enough impact that a burst of purple dust still flew into the air.   
  
That wasn't the end, both of them launching them back towards the start point.   
  
[Pretty close!] Muzaka said when they'd finished, laughing as he wrapped an arm around Kentas' helmet, patting it.   
  
[I think I'd beat you next time,] Kentas said, breathing heavy, but there were no sounds of a sore loser.   
  
Ooooh, a race was it? [Oi oi oi,] Tao said, walking up with a deep sigh. [If you think _you're_ fast, you haven't even tested yourself against the _master_.]  
  
[And that would be you?] Muzaka asked.   
  
[Nope!] Tao reached back and grabbed Takeo by the arm, tugging him forward. [Takeo!]  
  
Even when the helmets had reflected glass, it was easy to tell from the tilt of the head they were assessing him.   
  
He grinned as Takeo took his place beside Kentas and Muzaka.   
  
Maybe he could get a betting pool going before they started. He'd make a _killing_.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao hadn't heard from Takeo in a while.

Tao hadn't heard from Takeo in a while. Which wasn't _that_ weird but they had a _system_. They messaged each other at least once an hour, just to check up on each other, and Takeo had never missed one before. Takeo wasn't answering his comm either.   
  
Tao bit his lip, doing one last sweep of the monitors. Nothing suspicious. Except Weapons was conspicuously empty. How long had that been now?   
  
He'd done what he could to expand the security network, so why couldn't he see Takeo anywhere? He could see everyone else on the monitors: Muzaka was in the boiler room like he normally was, and Em was taking something to the dropship.   
  
So. Takeo would be fine. The main suspects hadn't done anything suspicious the entire day.   
  
Maybe one of his cameras malfunctioning. It wasn't that much of a stretch with how much the base was falling apart. Except if his cameras weren't working, they'd show white noise rather than their regular view.   
  
The only other reason would be if someone had tampered with his cameras, and the only reason someone would do that...   
  
He was just overthinking, right? Right. Takeo had just forgotten the time while he was shooting some asteroids.   
  
Tao pushed himself away from the monitors and dashed out the door.   
  


* * *

  
Tao slipped through the Weapons doors as soon as they were open enough for him to fit through them. "Tak-"  
  
Empty.   
  
Okay. Still not weird. Takeo didn't always stick to Weapons for the entire day. He had to stretch his legs as well too.   
  
But usually that was when Takeo checked on him.   
  
Anyway. Next place. Possibly the toilet? That'd make the most sense after the others.   
  
Tao left Weapons, unease growing in his gut.   
  


* * *

  
The toilet was empty and he'd passed a couple people who hadn't seen Takeo _either_. Where could he be?   
  
Tao eyed a vent as he passed it, remembering Red's demise. Could he - was he-?  
  
No. Takeo would be fine. He was. But there was no reason why Takeo would miss a message unless he physically couldn't.   
  
Tao slowed for two steps, before hurrying forward again. Maybe he was in the medbay!   
  


* * *

  
The medbay was quiet when Tao entered. That was okay. People recovering needed quiet. It made sense.   
  
He looked around, trying to find Takeo or Frankenstein.   
  
There wasn't anyone around on the initial glance around, and as Tao walked in further, his gaze was drawn to the beds. The empty ones, and as far as he could see, none of the curtains were closed either.   
  
Dammit.   
  
He turned his head to the sound of the lab doors opening.   
  
"Oh? Is there something wrong?"   
  
Everything? Tao breathed a weak laugh, feeling shaky. If he couldn't find Takeo... "I don't suppose you've seen Takeo today...?" Maybe he'd ducked in for something and then left.   
  
Frankenstein shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I don't tend to get many visitors, and that's usually a good thing."   
  
Yeah, it would be. But Takeo injured would be better than Takeo dead.   
  
Tao closed his eyes for a second. "Okay, thanks."   
  
He left the medbay and leaned back against the wall.   
  
Where else could Takeo be?   
  
Anywhere.   
  
That didn't mean he would be findable.   
  
In pieces. Thrown into the lava pit...   
  
Tao sucked in a breath, shaking his head.   
  
Focus. He hadn't come close to checking everywhere yet.   
  
Maybe...   
  
If Takeo hadn't gone to see Frankenstein, maybe he'd just gone back to their room to rest instead. The crew's quarters was one place where Tao hadn't installed his cameras yet. That could be why he hadn't seen anything.   
  
Destination in mind, Tao rushed over.   
  


* * *

  
It was going to be fine. Takeo would just be curled up on their bed, sleeping. That would be it. Takeo had just forgotten to message him before taking a nap.   
  
It would be fine.   
  
Tao swiped at their door reader and stepped into their-   
  
Takeo was in a heap against the wall, blood dripping into an already too large pool underneath him.   
  
No.   
  
Nonono!   
  
"Takeo!" He rushed over, yanking a glove off to check Takeo's pulse.   
  
He was warm, and while weak, a pulse was _still there_.   
  
Takeo flinched at his touch, Tao hearing how hard he was wheezing.   
  
"R-run," Takeo said, trying to look at him through a black eye.   
  
Tao froze. Wait, that meant-  
  
He hissed, clapping a hand to his neck, but he felt a cold _something_ against his fingers, right where the sharp pain was. The world wavered, Tao's heart thundering in his ears as strength left his limbs.   
  
"Dear, dear," a familiar voice murmured, making Tao's insides churn. No. That didn't make _sense_. "You _are_ blind when you can't rely on your cameras, aren't you?"   
  
The world blacked out.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M-21 finds Tao.

M-21 grumbled as he carried the water barrel through the base. Why the fuck was the water so far away from O2? Why wasn't there a system...   
  
He slowed, frowning. There were blood droplets on the floor. He followed the trail, his frown deepening. The trail went towards Security, not out to where whoever could go to the medbay.   
  
An accident at Electrical? Those were usually burns though, not-  
  
M-21 froze, seeing the body strewn across the floor, blood trailing from him. Black suit.   
  
_Tao_?   
  
He shoved the barrel to the side, running up to him. Tao was covered in bruises, blood dripping down from a wound under his hair.   
  
Frankenstein wouldn't attack Tao, M-21 knew that. There weren't any other imposters either. Then who-?  
  
He stilled at Tao dragging in a breath, his eyes still closed.   
  
Oh.   
  
Frankenstein wouldn't leave the person he'd attacked alive either; he'd seen what he'd done to Kranz.   
  
None of this made sense, but he could think about it later. Or Frankenstein would.   
  
M-21 picked up Tao's helmet, which had fallen just out of reach and put it on Tao. When he picked Tao up, he frowned. Tao was too floppy, his arm moving at the wrong angle. Broken bones...?   
  
No time.   
  
He dashed out.   
  


* * *

  
[Frankenstein! Get in the medbay!]  
  
Frankenstein frowned, but put down their notes, heading for the medbay. Em never sounded that frantic. What had happened?   
  
When they exited decontamination, Em whirled to see them, revealing the blood across his silver suit. It looked wrong though - it wasn't a blood splatter, more like-   
  
"Tao's hurt!"  
  
-he'd been carrying a bleeding body.   
  
"What happened?" they said, hurrying over. Tao was on one of the beds-   
  
They narrowed their eyes at the state Tao was in. If Em had brought Tao in alive, then he hadn't done it. And Tao wouldn't be alive either if Em had attacked him. As it was, Tao was barely breathing and didn't sound like he would be for much longer.   
  
"Can you get me a needle, tourniquet, and vial?" they asked. They knew Em had poked around their drawers enough to know where everything was.   
  
They heard Em rush to do it while they grabbed the scanner. Broken bones, internal bleeding, damn.   
  
The 'suit would need to come off to deal with it all.   
  
Frankenstein transformed, hooking their claws at Tao's collar. They paused, studying Tao's face. Pale, blue-tinged lips weren't unusual for lack of blood, but that made the small needle mark at Tao's neck stand out even more, the area red.   
  
Drugged?   
  
Imposters didn't use drugs to subdue or kill. Nor did they drag out the death either.   
  
But there was no-one else in the crew who had access to their-  
  
Yuri.   
  
With a hiss they tore through Tao's 'suit, seeing the full extent of what had been done to him, fury thrumming through them.   
  
It was only a possibility though. Not concrete. They didn't have proof.   
  
It would be rather unfair if they had played by the rules in the meetings beforehand, to then decide Yuri was the guilty party and space him, wouldn't it?   
  
They could think about it later, once they had saved Tao.   
  


* * *

  
Muzaka hummed as he entered Medbay, scanning for -   
  
Em growled at him before seeing it was him. Even then, Em continued to glower at him.   
  
Huh? Em wasn't usually that prickly.   
  
"Who is-?" Frankenstein looked over his shoulder and oh, that wasn't one of Frankenstein's projects.   
  
"What happened?" Not someone in a 'suit, which had to mean something _real_ bad happened.   
  
"Poison," Frankenstein said, his voice weary. "Among a litany of _other_ things, but he should pull through."   
  
Frankenstein sighed, shaking his head. He stilled, grimacing. "Ah, I need to keep an eye on him, but Tao had been looking for Takeo before Em found him, and I fear Takeo might be in a similar position, if not worse."   
  
Shit. "I'll go look for him."  
  
Frankenstein smiled at him. "Thank you. His wallet is on the table," he said, nodding to it, "in case Takeo is in their room."   
  
"Got it." The first stop would be to check the biometrics table in the office, just to make sure Takeo was still alive. _Then_ he could try to find him.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri wants to finish the job.

  
  
Yuri narrowed his eyes at the dark bloodstain on the ground. It was clear Tao had been found, and from the discarded water barrel, it was Em who had found him.   
  
Hmm. He must have been slightly too late to 'just happen upon' Em killing Tao and reporting it.   
  
But if there was no body... Either Em had disposed of it, or had brought Tao to the medbay.   
  
Yuri sighed, heading out.   
  
Em really was a failure. That was exactly why he'd set this up so Em would get spaced - there was no room in the Union for imposters who didn't do their mission.   
  


* * *

  
There was no-one in the medbay when Yuri entered, and hmm.   
  
But... There _was_ one bed that had its curtain closed. That must be it.   
  
Really, how annoying. Tao had been a thorn in Yuri's side from the start, from constantly pushing at the rules that were placed upon them, to claiming the security room as his.   
  
It had made Yuri's work far more difficult than it should have been.   
  
And then once they were here, Tao had jumped at the chance to bend the rules with the others, making Yuri reveal his name to placate the base group. Disgusting. The Union wouldn't want _any_ of them working under them.   
  
He would deal with Tao and Takeo first, and then start pruning off the useless crewmates in peace.   
  
Really. Yuri sighed. Tao couldn't even die like he was supposed to.   
  
He picked up a scalpel as he passed and flung open the curtain, scalpel at the ready.   
  
Empty.   
  
Even more annoying. Was Tao going to force him to waste time look-  
  
"My, my, what's all this racket about?"   
  
Yuri slipped the scalpel away from Frankenstein's view. "I was merely checking if your patient needed anything while you were away," Yuri said, smiling.   
  
"Ah, I see." Frankenstein peered at the empty bed for a second, before sliding his gaze back to Yuri. "And I suppose you would very graciously give them some extra breathing holes, with that scalpel you've just apprehended?"   
  
Damn, Frankenstein had seen him? Had he been too focused on trying to find Tao to see Frankenstein? "Of course not," Yuri said, exuding being harmless as much as possible. "But you can never be too careful with imposters around, of course."   
  
Frankenstein raised his eyebrows. "You suspect Tao is an imposter?"   
  
That hadn't been what he'd meant, but he could work with this. If Tao didn't die from his injuries, then he could convince Frankenstein to space him. "He is alone much of the time," Yuri said. "There is no-one else who can corroborate where he is, and if he murdered other crewmembers, then he would merely have to pretend he saw the others on camera, rather than he saw them in person."   
  
"Interesting," Frankenstein said, "but then, why wouldn't he kill me while I was treating him?"   
  
Yuri stilled. Tao had been conscious? Had he told Frankenstein anything? No. If he had, Frankenstein wouldn't be acting like this. "Imposters base instinct is to hide," Yuri said. "Tao must have been too weak from his injuries that he was worried he might not be able to take you down." Stroking another's ego also helped bring them to your side.   
  
"I suppose," Frankenstein said. Hmm, not convincing enough. "Though, tell me," Frankenstein said, tilting his head. He studied Yuri as he stepped closer. "How did you know Tao had been injured in the first place?"   
  
Wh-? "You were the one who mentioned Tao was the one who was injured?" There were only a few steps from where Yuri was to the wall behind him, and the only way out would be through Frankenstein. He tightened his hold on the scalpel as Frankenstein continued advancing on him.   
  
"I may have mentioned Tao by name, yes, but according to you, you were acting the way you were because you knew Tao had been brought here."   
  
Ah. _Dammit_. "I saw the bloodstain near Security," Yuri said, his mind working furiously, "and no body, so I guessed that someone must have been brought here."   
  
"And who would be able to injure an imposter so much?" Frankenstein said, his voice going softer. "I would think an imposter would have an easier time getting away from the injuries that had been inflicted on Tao but-" He exhaled. "-I suppose being drugged would help with the process, hm?"  
  
The blood drained from Yuri's face, leaving him cold. Frankenstein knew, and he was trapped here with him.   
  
"You wouldn't happen to know how that happened, would you, Yuri?"   
  
He wasn't sure if Frankenstein was blinking anymore, his gaze fixed on Yuri. "You, ah, leave the lab and medbay unattended for hours at a time so I'm sure-"  
  
"Someone would know exactly where I stored my medication, what was in each of my vials, and what they do?"   
  
Too close. Frankenstein was too close. Yuri had backed up a few steps, but when he sidestepped, Frankenstein moved to block him, not circle him. Frankenstein held nothing in his hands though. If he killed Frankenstein, he could pin that on Tao t-  
  
"I must say," Frankenstein said, glancing at the scalpel with disdain, "your attempt to make it look like an imposter hurt Tao was miserable."   
  
"Imposters-"  
  
"Don't use drugs or leave someone to bleed out afterwards," Frankenstein interrupted, his lips a thin line. Of course, he would have seen what imposters had done to the others.   
  
If Tao had died when he was meant to, then Yuri was sure Frankenstein wouldn't have realised he had been drugged.   
  
"Really now," Frankenstein said with a sigh, "we don't draw out pain in those we kill."  
  
Yuri sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. 'We'? Was Frankenstein-?  
  
"Though for you-" A purple transformation spread out over Frankenstein's skin, his mouth splitting open to reveal a sea of needle-sharp teeth. Was his hair moving? Sharpening? Yuri's vision wavered, trying to understand what he was seeing. Frankenstein wasn't a solid purple, the colour constantly shifting to an almost black and back again like water. "- _I might make **an exception**_."  
  
Frankenstein descended on him.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

Muzaka hurried to the medbay, Takeo cradled in his arms. Takeo was breathing, thankfully, but Muzaka wasn't sure for how long.   
  
He dashed in, mouth open to call Frankenstein.  
  
He halted instead, nostrils flaring at the stench of blood permeating through the air. Straining his ears as he looked around, he heard the steady drip of something...   
  
One of the curtains was closed, and the lighting the medbay had meant he could see the inside was coated with droplets of a dark liquid. Under it, pools of blood grew with each drip.   
  
He set Takeo on the closest bed as he strode over. It wasn't, was it...?   
  
Muzaka yanked the curtain back.   
  
A purple humanoid crouched over the remains of someone, their shoulder-length hair moving like snakes. It was hard to tell under all the gore and blood, but Muzaka could maybe see some gold left of the suit on the body on the floor.   
  
The humanoid snapped their attention to him with a hiss. He had blue eyes surrounded by black.   
  
Muzaka relaxed, seeing that. "Frankenstein?" Even looking like this, Muzaka could still recognise his eyes, and how Frankenstein looked at him.   
  
Frankenstein blinked, and then exhaled, the transformation rapidly shifting back. "Did you find him?"   
  
"Yeah, he's on the bed."   
  
Frankenstein nodded, leaving the body where it lay.   
  
"What happened...?" Muzaka said, hearing the sound of running water. With a clearer view, Muzaka could see that yes, the 'suit had been gold - that was the only thing left of the pieces strewn across the floor that could be identifiable.   
  
"He came to finish the job," Frankenstein said. "I ensured that he wouldn't." He exhaled. "Could you call Em here? He'll be in the lab with Tao - I'll need his help for this."   
  
"Sure."   
  
When Muzaka entered the lab, he heard Em's growl before he saw him. Tao was laying on one of the beds, still pale, but the heart monitor seemed to be beating regularly. Em was perched on a chair at the foot of Tao's bed.   
  
"Frankenstein wants your help with Takeo."   
  
Em narrowed his eyes at him, frowning as he glanced at Tao again. So that was it.   
  
Muzaka nodded. "I'll watch him for you."  
  
Em glanced between him and Tao again, before nodding. "...Thanks."   
  
"Heh, you'll be doing more than me." He patted Em's shoulder as he passed, Em not stiffening at the touch.   
  
Muzaka let out a long exhale as he straddled the chair Em had been sitting on, resting his elbows on the back.   
  
Now all he could do was wait and hope Takeo and Tao pulled through.   
  


* * *

  
Muzaka looked over when he heard the lab doors open, Em scurrying in as he dried his hands on his suit.   
  
"How'd it go?"   
  
"Fine," Em said. "He's not dead."   
  
Muzaka sighed, relaxing. "Good. Tao's doing well too," he said as he stood up, Em immediately taking his seat and watching Tao.   
  
The smell of blood was stronger in the medbay, the blood on the floor dark and dry. The bed Muzaka had laid Takeo on earlier on was still wet, the blood only starting to darken. Takeo was now on a clean bed instead, one that had wheels on it, so it was clear where Takeo would be heading next.   
  
Frankenstein was removing the labcoat he wore over his 'suit when Muzaka saw him.   
  
"Hey," Muzaka said, walking up to him. "Go grab a bed and have a nap."   
  
Frankenstein frowned at him, but Muzaka saw he was wavering on his feet. He opened his mouth, but Muzaka got there first.   
  
"I'll clean up here, all right?" He might not know where everything went, but he could make a good stab at it. He could do the main clean-up at least. That was the easiest part.   
  
Frankenstein squinted at him, making Muzaka smile softly. He _definitely_ needed the rest. "Come on," he said, leading Frankenstein to the closest bed.   
  
"A short nap," Frankenstein mumbled, laying down. "Then I'll join you."   
  
"All right," Muzaka said. He doubted that would happen, and that was fine.   
  
Frankenstein was asleep in seconds and Muzaka looked around at what he'd need to do.   
  
Well then, he'd better get started.   
  
He wheeled Takeo to the lab and put him next to Tao. "You look after both of them, okay?"  
  
Em nodded, shifting his chair a bit so he could see them both.   
  
One down. Now what to do with the body, or what was left of it. The lava pit was close to the medbay - not finding the body would be better than having to wake Frankenstein up and bring him to the meeting room. Muzaka wasn't sure if Em would even leave Takeo or Tao.   
  
Right. Once he got rid of the body, then he could start cleaning up the blood.   
  


* * *

  
Frankenstein woke up to the sound of a wet slap. They blearily squinted against the harsh medbay lights. They'd fallen asleep?   
  
When they looked across, they saw Muzaka mopping the floor, which was a light pink.   
  
...Ah. Of course. _That_ was what happened.   
  
Transforming drained them, but it had been a very long time since they'd transformed fully.   
  
"You awake already?" Muzaka said, smiling at him.   
  
"Apparently." They grimaced, and slowly sat up. The world tilted for a second, and then righted itself.   
  
Muzaka set the mop against the wall, walking over. "Oi, go back to sleep."  
  
"I need to...check on Takeo and Tao." Their tongue felt a little thick for the words. They were sure they would have been woken up if something had happened, but the pair might need something else that wasn't so obvious.   
  
"Hnnn, all right."   
  
Muzaka stuck close as Frankenstein stood up and, really, it wasn't... Frankenstein braced their weight back on the bed with a hand as the world span. Hm. Maybe they hadn't recovered as much strength as they thought...  
  
Muzaka didn't comment on their lapse and Frankenstein closed their eyes. "I may need to borrow your shoulder for a moment."   
  
Muzaka smiled. "Go ahead."   
  
"Thank you." Frankenstein rested a hand on Muzaka's shoulder as they stood. It took them a second to adjust, leaning more on Muzaka than they liked.   
  
Hm. It had been a _very_ long time since they had fully transformed.   
  
When they entered the lab, Em narrowed his eyes at them from where he was sitting. He frowned when he saw Frankenstein. "You're that tired?"   
  
"Fully transforming on top of two major surgeries can be rather tiring, yes," Frankenstein corrected wryly. They should really get something to eat after this, but they could do that after they'd checked on Takeo and Tao.   
  
They furrowed their brow when Em sucked in a breath, his gaze going wide-eyed as he snapped his focus on Muzaka.   
  
Hm? Frankenstein glanced at Muzaka, but he looked the same as usual.   
  
Was it something they'd said...? But there was nothing...  
  
Ah.   
  
Frankenstein shook their head as they went to check on Takeo and Tao. They really _were_ tired if they hadn't even realised they'd inadvertently revealed they were an imposter. "Muzaka knows, Em, and has known for quite some time now."  
  
"Yup."   
  
Em didn't say anything, still studying Muzaka with narrowed eyes, before he turned his attention back to the pair on the beds.   
  
Tao's colour had returned, thankfully, and his IV would need to replaced. Takeo's vitals were still weak, but for the moment the pair seemed to be holding steady where they were.   
  
"They should pull through," Frankenstein murmured, and Muzaka was at their side again.   
  
"An' you should go back to bed," Muzaka said.   
  
Were they really-? They closed their eyes, the floor moving under them. Hm. "Yes, that would be a good idea."   
  
"Right. If anything happens, we'll be in the medbay, okay?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
The medbay? Wouldn't it be better if they stayed with Takeo and Tao?   
  
They didn't argue as they were led out, and they groaned when they sat back onto the bed.   
  
"What do you need?" Muzaka said, watching him.   
  
They shuffled over so they leaned back against the headboard. "Some food should suffice," Frankenstein said. "But rest is largely all I need." The weakness would pass, eventually.   
  
Muzaka nodded and left.   
  
Hm. Maybe Muzaka wanted them to rest without the beep of the monitors? Maybe.   
  
They looked around, their eyes catching the pink patch Muzaka hadn't finished cleaning up yet.   
  
Ah, yes. They should clean the rest of it.   
  
Frankenstein didn't wobble as much when they stood up again. They peered into the bucket and grimaced. No, that wouldn't clean anything now - it was only good for spreading more blood.   
  
They picked up the bucket and poured its contents down the sink. They waited for a wave of dizziness or weakness to follow but it didn't. Good.   
  
They were in the process of rinsing out the mop when Muzaka returned.   
  
"That doesn't look like resting," Muzaka said, amusement tingeing his tone.   
  
Frankenstein looked down at what they were doing, and continued rinsing. "Yes, well. You'd done most of the work and-"  
  
"You still need to rest," Muzaka finished, closing the tap. "And food. Doctor's orders, heh."   
  
Frankenstein didn't say anything as Muzaka led them back to bed. "But I'm not a doctor though. Not even close." What exactly _were_ they, really?  
  
"I think Takeo an' Tao would disagree with ya there," Muzaka said, sitting next to them on the bed, holding out food out for them to take.   
  
"Yes, but those were procedures I looked up myself, not taught."   
  
They blinked when Muzaka tipped his head back and laughed. Was it really that funny?   
  
It took a few seconds for Muzaka to calm down, his shoulders still shaking. "Okay, so from what I saw, Tao had at least a broken arm, you'd needed to stitch up his torso, and you said he'd been poisoned too?"  
  
Frankenstein nodded, not seeing where Muzaka was going with this line of questioning. "As well as cracked ribs." Yuri had done a lot of damage between the time Frankenstein had last seen Tao. They pursed their lips, holding onto their fury. It had been dealt with.   
  
"All right. If I'd been the one who had ta take care of Tao and Takeo when they came in like that, do you think I'd be able to do even a quarter of what you did?"   
  
Frankenstein was quiet as they mulled it over, which told them how tired they still were. But Muzaka doing major surgery...? "No," they admitted.   
  
"Exactly!" Muzaka nodded. "I'd be able to see they're bleeding and where it's coming from, but aside from that?" Muzaka shrugged. "I'd have no idea how to stop it, or how to help."   
  
Oh.   
  
"I wouldn't know what to use if a bug was sweeping through the base either," Muzaka added, "or even how to use any of the machines here."   
  
They knew because they had looked it up and observed the scientists but...the same was if someone asked them to look after the base's boiler room: they would have no idea where to start.   
  
They huffed, picking up the food Muzaka had set down between them. "I suppose I feel even more like an imposter right now..." Their eyes were drawn towards the pink patch on the floor. Yes, at their base they were human, but it wasn't exactly normal to be able to transform their body and rip a man in half now was it?  
  
Muzaka nudged them with an elbow. "You saved two lives twice over today by using knowledge and abilities the rest of us don't. I don't see how that makes you an 'imposter'."  
  
Frankenstein smiled softly as they fiddled with the food wrapping. Of course Muzaka would focus more on their imposter syndrome than what they supposedly were. An imposter with imposter syndrome, hah.   
  
They exhaled, and started eating. It felt good filling their stomach, and they leaned against Muzaka when he wrapped an arm around their shoulders.


End file.
